Beyond the Boundaries
by Boyd the Reaver
Summary: Post-RD. Ike left Tellius to explore the world beyond, which made Boyd drag Mist along on an adventure of his own. But when they discover that there is a continent beyond Tellius, it would radically change both worlds... for better, or worse. Boyd/Mist, Rolf/OC.
1. Premonition: Setting Sail

**I do not own Fire Emblem. All respective rights belong to Nintendo.**

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><p>Boyd was worried.<p>

It took months of persuasion and hard work to get the funds and support to do this expedition... and he was worried. Like as expected, it could be all for nothing... every bit of hard work put into this voyage, for nothing.

Maybe what they say is true: the land beyond Tellius can just as well be a remote watery grave. But he risked so much to get where he is; assemble a small army and a crew, get the funds and approval from Elincia... he just can't back out now! He just made it too far to leave where he's at... this is too important to him.

These concerns haunted him as he stood on the pier. Boyd stood on the edge of the wooden docks, taking in the majesty of the sea, and what will come of him in the next few days. The light breeze tickled his hair, his emerald mullet swinging in the breeze, just as how grass flows on a windy prairie day. His dark green eyes were staring deep into the horizon, and as the afternoon sun glistens in his eyes, he just can't help but wonder what will become of him within these next few days.

And all that time he put into his dreams... he couldn't risk it.

"Taking in the majesty of the ocean, huh Boyd?"

Boyd snapped out of his trance to see two slender pale arms reaching out with a hug from behind. Not to mention, he can recognize that cheerful voice anywhere: Mist, the petite cleric devoted to Ashera, and Boyd's fiance.

The reaver smiled at his soon-to-be-betrothed, and playfully pushed her away from his spot.

"Now don't give me a surprise hug while I'm not lookin', mmkay hon?" Boyd smirked at the younger girl.

"Hey, come on, ya gotta loosen up!" the valkyrie giggled happily. Her lively face turned into one of buisness, and she gave a more serious face. "Anyway, I came to tell you we're almost ready to set sail. Just give the orders and we can go off."

"Thanks Mist." the axefighter nodded. He then turned to her, seeing her pristine blue eyes gleaming in the sun.

"You know... I'm a little nervous." Boyd confessed. "What if all the trouble we went through was for nothing? I know, Queen Elincia was very generous with supplying us with a crew and provisions, but..."

Mist smiled as her fiance. "Honey, Ike left Tellius six months before you! I'm darn well sure he's out there!"

Boyd sighed. "Yeah, I know, but..."

Mist patted his muscular back, and gave a cheerful smile. "Don't worry, we'll find whatever awaits us, and we'll return to Tellius heroes!" She smiled happily. "You just need to tell what your gut tells ya, alright?"

Boyd's somewhat gloomy expression lightened up, and he smiled. "Yeah... thanks hon."

Before Mist could respond, a Crimean soldier came up to the green-haired fighter in a hurry.

"Captain Boyd, the winds are getting' a bit weak. Should we depart on your command?"

Boyd looked at the infinite blue one last time before turning to the soldier. "Yeah, sound the command we're leaving."

"Aye, aye!" He made a quick salute, before rushing off.

Mist smiled. "Well... we're settin' sail, huh?"

Boyd grinned a bit. "Yeah... you know, I'm already missing this place."

"Oh don't get _me_ homesick before we even get on the boat!" she responded with a playful shove.

Boyd chuckled softly as he looked at the entrancing deep blue. A whole new world awaited him, and this was going to shape his life for all he knew. It's crazy: a whole new land to explore! He was excited, for what awaited him, and what will lie in his future.

But a quick peck to the cheek from Mist snapped him out of his trance, turning to see a the young girl smiling at him.

"I gotta go now... I'll be seein' ya on the boat Captain!" she said with a grin before dashing off.

Boyd smiled at her beautiful fiance. She'll never change, won't she?

Boyd's smile would turn into a deep frown, as he returned staring into the horizon. He was trying to look on the bright side of things: for all he knew, he could be heading back to Crimea a rich man! But of course, there has to be the threats of a new world to be dealt with.

But both expectedly, and unexpectedly, this adventure would come to change his life forever.

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><p><strong>Please R&amp;R! Thanks!<strong>


	2. Chapter 1: The Deep Blue

**Holy crap, and to think that I haven't included an author's note in my fanfics so far... *sweatdrop***

**Anyway, welcome to my fanfic! I'm pretty sure you read the last part, and this chapter's going to be about the voyage. They aren't gonna hit land yet; this chapter is meant to forge what it's like on the ship. And don't worry, the part when they reach land's going to be rather soon. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. All respective rights belongs exclusively to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems, and this fanfic is solely meant for entertainment purposes, and no financial distribution. (jeez, it didn't have to be that long...)**

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><p><em>It was a momentous day for Tellius. As the C.S.S. Greil sailed along the docks, the cheers of Crimeans everywhere erupted. It was the first backed expedition of Tellius, and its leader, Boyd, was ready to explore the world.<em>

_Cheers and howls of joy echoed throughout the day-lit port of Talrega, and confetti slowly sprinkled onto the lake and docks, like soft snowfall on a winter night._

_Boyd looked onwards as the farewell party dissipated into the background, and turned to his fiancé, Mist. He gave a small grin, and pulled her in for a one-armed hug._

"_So... this is where it all begins, eh Mist?" Boyd said with a chuckle._

"_You betcha..." Mist smiled before slowly reaching the reaver's lips. It was a soft kiss, with the purr of delight escaping the Valkyrie's locked lips. They slowly parted as they met, and a warm glow shone on the two lovers' cheeks._

"_Anything else to say before we go to work, hon?" Boyd smiled._

_Mist giggled. "Well..."_

"_Wake up, you lazy bum!"_

_Boyd blinked twice before frowning. "Uhh... what now?"_

_Mist sighed. "I said..."_

"_I said... WAKE _UP_!"_

_The two lovers spun around to the sea, to view a giant Mist, her stomach above the horizon._

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><p>"Whuh...?" Boyd groaned as Mist yanked off the sheets during his dream, only to see Mist. And obviously very irritated.<p>

"Boyd, breakfast's ready and we've been waiting for you for a whole _hour_!" Mist groaned exhaustedly.

"Ach, sorry Mist, I just..."

Mist sighed, walking to the doorway. Right before she was to close to door, her exasperation turned into a loving, if just as irritated, smile. "Just get dressed and we'll meet you for breakfast, okay honey?"

"Right, uh... sorry." Boyd turned slightly red before jumping out of his bed to get his clothes. "Sorry for..."

"No, it's fine." Mist smiled. "Sometimes I mess up like that. You shouldn't be apologizing to me for yelling at you like that..." At that slightly out-of-character thought, Mist blushed a little.

"Nah, its fine. We all kinda get fed up with one's lover when they been in bed for a whole hour."

Mist giggled at that statement, her energy renewed. "Right... just get dressed and meet me at the dining hall, okay?"

"Yeah, right."

"Bye!" she smiled with the little spring in her step that made Mist who she was, even at 18 years of age.

Boyd pulled up his pants, and when Mist was out of sight, he gave as much of an exasperated sigh as Mist had minutes ago.

"You're not my mom, you know..."

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><p>Boyd always loved the fresh smell of the sea. It was always a rejuvenating to him, with the salty wind blowing into him and as the ship rocked back and forth to the tides - he truly enjoyed it.<p>

That was why he decided to take a quick step into the breeze, to take in the majesty of the deep blue: the waves rushed against the hull, and the squeal of the seagulls echoed throughout the ambience. Not to mention it was a beautiful day out; it was cloudy and cool, with a temperature that greatly suited him.

After all, he wasn't really one for the heat.

"So, Boyd what did you think of the latest dish?" said a familiar voice. Boyd chuckled to himself and turned around, having his brothers, Oscar and Rolf, in plain view.

Boyd shrugged. "The omelets were alright, I guess... could've used a little more meat."

"You ALWAYS need food, ya big carnivore." Rolf grinned cheerfully as he jabbed Boyd in the rib.

"Ow!" Boyd flinched, with Oscar and Rolf soon bursting into laughter. Boyd had to admit, for a kid that was only 14, and he was 20, Rolf was pretty tough.

The laughter subsided, and Boyd looked at the two with a warm smile.

"Guys," he began, "I can't thank you enough for coming with me. I had Mist, sure, but damn was it gonna be lonely without you all."

"Boyd, we're your family. It's our duty for us to help you when you need it." Oscar nodded.

"Yeah, of course!" piped in Rolf. "If we weren't there for you, what kind of siblings would we be?"

Boyd smiled, and slowly shook his head. "Heh... good point, peewee."

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU, _DON'T CALL ME THAT_!" Before Rolf can ram himself into him, Boyd's muscular hand held him at bay, wherein Oscar simply bursted out laughing.

This was going to be a long journey, all right.

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><p>Mist was in the captain's quarters, reading a play she bought while in Talrega. She had to admit, it was a really good play; it's called "The Thief and the Huntress," about a blue-haired pickpocket named Colm and a sensitive pink-haired archer name Neimi, and how they are dragged into a global conflict in their world.<p>

She chuckled at a well-timed joke in the book, and at that very moment, Boyd entered, clearly exhausted from a long day's work.

Mist perked her head up to Boyd, and gave her signature cheerful smile. "Hey, Boyd!"

"Hey Mist," the green-haired warrior smiled before leaning his axe next to the wall.

Mist gregarious mood turned into mild concern, and she raised an eyebrow. "When you give a look _that_ exasperated, then they're something going on."

Boyd shook his head to let all the fatigue rush out of his body. "_That's Mist for you." _ Boyd thought "_She always knows when someone's in the dumps."_

"Well? Mist asked. "What is it?"

Boyd frowned then sighed. "Oh, you know... I'm just worried we may stumble into nothing."

Mist then returned to her bright smile. "Oh come on, you _still_ worried about that, you big meathead?"

Boyd smiled. "Well, yeah... I'm just fearing this was all for nothing."

Mist got out of her seat and walked up to her lover. The Valkyrie placed her hands on his, the comfortable warmth of her hands touching the Reaver's weary and cold ones.

"Boyd..." Mist smiled. "Ike went off to Tellius a whole year ago. Sure, he may not be back yet, but I believe that he out there, exploring the world."

Boyd smiled back. "Do you now?"

"Yeah." Mist gave a confirming nod. "I promise you Boyd, there's land out there. If Ike is convinced that there is a whole new world beyond our seas, then there is definitely something."

Boyd tired expression was rejuvenated, and he gave his signature smile. "Yeah... you're right. I shouldn't be worrying about this, and I'm gonna look stupid if I keep that up..."

"You're _already_ looking stupid, buddy." Mist giggled, as they broke into laugher.

Once the laughter died down, Boyd scooped his lover up in her arms, with the cleric squealing in surprise. After some laughing, Boyd smiled at the brunette with reassurance.

"Mist, I want you to know something; you complete me." Boyd began. "There isn't anything you do that doesn't cheer me up and smile. I love you for that reason: you're the nicest, and most beautiful of course, person I've ever met."

"Oh, Boyd..." the lovers then pulled their lips together, embracing themselves in a moment of warmth and compassion...

"Ahem..."

The two lovers suddenly broke away to see Oscar and Rolf. Standing _right_ in front of them.

"O-Oscar!" Mist blushed. "You shouldn't interrupt people like that."

"Well, we came to tell ya that you two need to rest up! "Rolf huffed. "We have big plans for tomorrow, and we want you at your best!"

"Yeah," Oscar agreed. "There's gonna be a _lot_ of jobs for you two tomorrow..."

The lovers groaned out loud, before the male of the two sighed. "Fiiiiine..." Boyd whined.

"I'll be in bed if you need me guys." On that note, he went upstairs to his room.

"Yeah... meet you in bed, captain!" Mist smiled. However, Mist has something of a mischievous tone and glint to Boyd, one that Oscar failed to pick up, yet the Warrior did.

"Right-o." Boyd said in the same aura as Mist. As Mist rushed upstairs, he turned to Oscar.

"Well, night bro... we _do_ have a busy day tomorrow..."

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><p>An hour has passed; everyone should be asleep at this point, and Oscar decided to continue writing that letter to Queen Elincia.<p>

Or at least he _thought _everyone was.

"...things have been going well so far, and I would like to ask your permission for-"

Before he could continue with his thoughts, the sound of thumping and moaning echoed the hall. It was coming from Boyd and Mist's quarters.

Immediately upon realizing who it is, he released a heavy sigh.

"Damnit, Boyd."

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><p><strong>*whew* This came out really good! I'm pretty pleased with myself! =D<strong>

**Anyway, that wraps up Chapter 2; the first few chapters will be setting the stage for the next part of the fanfic. Oh, and one last thing; if you're worried I am going to abandon this fanfic, think again; it'll go the whole way through!**

**Next time, we get a glimpse on the situation back in Crimea! Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 2: Eye of the Storm

**Hello to all of you out there... boy, it's been a while... ^^'**

**Anyway, sorry for the late update. I went on vacation to the Florida Keys and also had to deal with a variety of other stuff. And to compensate, here's Chapter 3 of Beyond the Boundaries!**

**Oh, and one last thing; thank you all for the concrit. All the advice you gave me will really help in the long run. Grazie!**

**Disclaimer: Nintendo and Intelligent Systems owns Fire Emblem.**

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><p>Oscar had to admit that the quality of the S.S. Greil was very good.<p>

There were two reasons why he enjoyed sailing on this ship: for one, it was named after Greil, who happened to be the leader of the now-disbanded Greil Mercenaries and a good friend. He didn't really find any complaints with the name, being a companion of his...

Another good reason why he liked the ship was due to its design. The bridge of the ship is large and capable of holding a good lot of people at a set time, while the barracks and other rooms were expertly divided and assimilated to fit within the rather large size of the ship. All the effort put into the ship's design clearly shows the logistic skills of the designers.

Then again, if there was one thing Crimea was very well known for, it was their logistics; every single victorious war within the grassland kingdom's history was not due to their militaristic might; they could always depend of mercenaries for that. What made them such a formidable force was due to their expertise in calculations, as the quality of their rations, tactics and production shows.

And the fact that Crimea came into the green paladin's mind brought him back to the task at hand; he had to deliver a letter to a certain someone... though where could he be?

Oscar sighed exasperatedly as he looked throughout the bridge. He simply _had_ to be somewhere on the ship, though he didn't know-

"...looking for me?"

Oscar turned around in surprise to find the person he was looking for: Ulki.

"How did you even-" Oscar asked before getting his answer.

Ulki smiled. "...you were mumbling about where I was, so I came here." He then frowned. "Unless you don't need me...?"

"No, you were spot on Ulki." Oscar grinned. So, he was mumbling, huh?

"Well, I'm glad I'm still worthy to be Tibarn's ears. What do you need?"

"This." Oscar handed him a paper rolled and tied with a red ribbon.

"Hm? You want me to deliver something?" Ulki blinked.

"I do," Oscar smiled. "I need you to deliver this to Elincia all the way back in Crimea."

"I understand." Ulki nodded. "Anything I need to know before I head out?"

"Yeah, uh..." the Silver Knight then turned an odd shade of red. "Boyd and Mist's... "sleeping problems"...have kept me distracted. I just finished it, and I want you deliver it as fast as you can. I don't want Elincia to get worried..."

Ulki laughed. "You can count on me friend. Try talking a lot with the rest so I can make my way back."

"Will do." Oscar nodded. "You need directions?"

Ulki smiled.

"Sound is my direction."

In a second's notice, he turned into his hawk form and flew southwest, with the letter in his talons. As he soared through the sky, Oscar couldn't help but chuckle.

"Gotta love the guy..." as soon as Ulki disappeared into the horizon, he went back to the cabin.

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><p>Crimea was well known for its variety of plains and forests. With a relatively cool climate, and numerous flatlands and forests, its landscape is relatively quaint and modest. But this is the <em>city<em> we're talking about.

Melior, the capital of Crimea, has an estimated population of 125,000 men - all thanks to the aqueduct program architects are researching. As brick and stone landscapes dot the horizon, with several quaint villages beyond its walls, it would be next to the Ridell River, the very foundation of the city and its primary source of naval travel and fresh water.

Speaking of the ocean, where was Boyd?

Elincia Ridell Crimea, or better known as Queen Elincia, pondered this as she overlooked her city through the master balcony. She sighed softly, looking almost blankly at the sunset to the west.

"_You promise you'll come back?" Elincia asked, her voice raising concern._

"_We're not just gonna come back, we're gonna come back with the story of the year." Boyd grinned._

"_Hee hee! I hope so!" Elincia giggled._

She certainly _hoped_ he would come back. Boyd was a genuine nice person, and she hoped he would return safely... or at least, deliver a message signaling her return.

Regardless, she didn't want all this preparation to not be worth it. So many things could go wrong, just as easily as Ike and Boyd could've been skewered, maimed, burnt alive - it worried her.

And besides, Ike disappeared... what happened to him...?

"Milady." The voice behind her was a messenger for the royal guard.

Elincia snapped out of her deep thought and smiled genuinely. "Hello... um..."

"D-Daffyd... my name's Daffyd." The messenger flushed at the thought that the _queen _was addressing him - personally!

"What brings you here Daffyd?"

"This," he then gave him a scroll with a red ribbon tying it together. "was delivered by Ulki."

"Ulki?!" Elincia blinked in shock. "How did he...?"

"...get here so fast? Well, we all know he's a su-"

Silence.

"..._laguz_, madam. Laguz." Daffyd corrected.

Elincia frowned. That's another issue going on; racism between beorc and laguz. For a long time, she was trying to rectify the hatred between the two races, but some change takes longer than others this was a battle that was going to be won eventually, but not for a long time.

"Thank you." She then took the letter. "You did well."

"My queen." Daffyd did a quick salute before rushing off.

Elincia opened the letter, almost curiously, and couldn't help but smile.

_Elincia,_

_The voyage has been going very well. Even though it's been three weeks since we left, we are already making good progress, and everyone on the ship is in high spirits. Boyd and Mist are being - Boyd and Mist, while Rolf's just as fine himself... though he keeps sighing whenever Boyd and Mist have a romantic moment. Whatever._

_Long story short, the journey is going incredibly well. Thank you for responding to this message, and I promise, you will get feedback when we land. Until then!_

_From, Oscar_

Elincia smiled, her faith renewed in the voyage.

"O Benevolent Ashera... watch over these brave souls..."

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><p>It was night time at the ship, the skies black and the seas blacker. Everyone in the deck was asleep at this point. Sans Rolf.<p>

Rolf squirmed in his sleep, beads of sweat becoming evident down his face.

_She never loved you._

Rolf then suddenly gasped in fright, his eyes wide open. Upon realizing he's in his quarter, Rolf simply groaned , and fell back asleep. Still, the dream concerned him. What was all _that_ about? Well, he knew... the problem was that it involved her.

"She never loved me?" Rolf thought out loud.

Then the thought of _her_ arises, and his heart instantly sank to the bottom of his soul.

Rolf didn't have time to think about this. The wooden door creaked open, and a blinding light (to Rolf, at least) lit the dark and dreary room.

"...lemme alone." Rolf moaned as he tried to cover himself with the blanket. Why did Oscar have to wake him up like that.

Oscar simply sighed. He hated to wake people up like that. After all, rest creates energy, and if there is one thing he hates, it's wasting people energy. But not wasn't the time on letting him rest now.

"Rolf, please." Oscar walked up to him and began rubbing at his side. "Rolf, wake up. We have a problem..."

Boyd and Mist, both equally as tired as the lime-haired archer, rubbed their eyes, with the former groaning. "You can't wake somebody who's pretending to be asleep."

"Yeah," Mist yawned. "what's this all about?"

Oscar turned to the lovers. "You'll see." Turning back to Rolf, he began rubbing him further, stirring even more groans from him.

"C'mon, Rolf... please?"

Then, the marksman yawned loudly before getting out of bed. "Okay, okay... I'm up. What is it?"

"Get dressed. We have a problem." Oscar said in a serious tone, before turning to Mist. "I need you to wake the crew up, okay?"

"Right!" Mist nodded before walking off - she would stride in her signature run, had she not been so tired.

As soon as Rolf was dressed, they walked down the corridors of the ship, reaching the wooden door that led to the main bridge.

Oscar grabbed the handle and stared at his younger kin. "In case you're wondering..."

He then opened the door, leaving Boyd and Rolf in awe.

"...this is the problem I'm referring to." And what he was referring to was a massive storm - coming right at them.

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><p><strong>YES!<strong> **Chapter 3 is DONE!**

**Man, this was probably my longest writing yet. Anyway, I really hope this made up for the long delay everyone... as usual, give me advice on the fanfic and tell me if you liked it or not! It really helps!**

**~CR26 out**


	4. Chapter 3: Teleport!

**Well, it's about bloody time I started writing again! XD**

**Anyway, sorry for the minor delay, and I promised to the few who read Beyond the Boundaries a quick and steady update! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Fire Emblem belongs to the folks at Intelligent Systems.**

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><p>All things considered, Ulki didn't exactly get why so many Beorc found flying a thing to dream for; he just saw it as a way of life.<p>

Thanks to said Hawk Laguz's top-notch hearing skills, he was confident in the location of the C.S.S. Greil: just a few miles up northwards. As he traversed above the deep blue sea, soaring amongst the clouds matching his altitude, he guessed such a thing was probably the reason why so many Beorc want to fly.

Ulki chuckled at the thought, reminding him of a Beorc Priest named Rhys. Loveable guy wanted to fly, and even with letting him experience the thrill of flight, it wasn't exactly enough to explain to him just _what_ was all the fun in it.

Said thought was cut short as he perked his ear.

"Eh?" Ulki's smile turned into a frown, as he listened closely.

It was the sound of a storm. And if he was right, it was _exactly where Boyd and the others were_.

"Oh, goddess."

Without a single word, he soared through the darkening skies as fast as he could go... after all, being in the middle of a storm was bad. In fact, it marked of the reasons why he sometimes hated flying.

Damned thunderbolts.

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><p>As Boyd, Rolf and Oscar merely gawked at the cyclone of black clouds and thunder approaching their oaken ship, they had to wonder:<p>

Why the _hell_ did this have to happen?

Rolf nervously turned to Boyd. He had keen enough eyes to know that storm looked _bad_, something that could very much spell doom for the C.S.S. Greil... and he _had_ to have keen eyes, considering he was an archer. And the maelstrom incoming on the adventurer's position looked deadly, to say the least.

"Boyd..." Rolf gulped. "Any ideas?"

It was at that moment Boyd decided to steel himself. He turned to his younger brother with an aura that sets him apart from his otherwise hot-headed self. It was a presence that was lacking in the laughter the Reaver was known for, replaced by an indomitable will.

He _was_, after all, one of Ike's few equals in leadership.

"We're going to drive right through it." Boyd simply stated, with little to no hesitation.

Oscar and Rolf _stared_.

"You can't be serious Boyd," Oscar immediately interjected, with obvious concern on how the assault would play out. "That's a full-on maelstrom up ahead, and do you honestly think that it'll be worth it if we go right into it?"

"Yes, I do." Boyd smirked. "And I have a plan."

"And what exactly is the first step of your plan?"

"Get Mist."

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><p>Mist <em>really<em> wished she could go back to bed. It was probably like, what, 2:00 in the morning, and far past her own sleeping time. But upon Oscar's orders, she had to wake up the crew.

More importantly, just _what_ did Oscar need?

Mist and a dozen-so crew members walked through the wooden hull of the ship, with doors littering the small, dimly-lit passageways, each giving entrance to the soldiers' rooms. Each room having a surprisingly cozy bunk, with the rocking of the ship lulling the owner into a sense of fatigue. It's coziness and gentle conditions made it _perfect_ to roll up and sleep.

Mist whined slightly at _that _notion. She had no idea just what Oscar and the others needed, but it had better been good. Even if she is a morning person, she hated being woken up in the middle of the night when there's a nice, cozy bed in her room...

"So, Mist..." One of the crew members chimed as they walked down the hallway. "Whad'ja think Oscar needs at _this_ time of day.

"Beats me..." Mist yawned tiredly. "I just wanna go to bed..."

"You and me both, sister." Another crew member joined the conversation, the said sailor being female. "But we gotta get it done, no?"

"Yeah, maybe you're right..." Mist groaned. "I still don't exactly see why Oscar was so worried over-"

**CRASH!**

As if Mist was tempting fate, the ship made an ear-straining smash, causing the C.S.S. Greil to shake violently. Most of the crew quickly lost balance, stumbling clumsily as they try to regain footing.

Mist wasn't exactly an exception.

"GAH!" Mist cried out as she landed bottom first. As soon as the shaking ended, most of the crew members accompanying Mist were on the floor, save for the lucky ones who managed to find good footing.

"That didn't sound good." A female sailor said as she attempted to regain her positioning. Seconds after the shaking stopped, it only erupted once more, the very floor of the ship shaking at the might of the storm.

"Okay, that is definitely _not_ good!" Mist shouted to her fellow sailors and soldiers. "Get to the bridge, _now_!" As soon as those words were spoken, the dozen-so soldiers rushed to the upper floors.

Mist just hoped Boyd was alright.

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><p>"Are you freaking <em>kidding me<em>?!" Boyd cried aloud as a maelstrom of rain and crashing waves made every little bit of navigating through the storm more complicated. He only had seconds to turn back to the sailors, passengers and soldiers alike scrambling to keep the ship in check, before another upsurge hit the hull.

As Boyd was giving orders and keeping every little thing in check, Mist and the dozen-so crewmates rushed through the door, as if in the nick of time.

"Boyd! What the heck is-" Mist then found herself staring at the maelstrom. "Ohhhhhh, goddess."

"Yeah, well its damn well about _time_ you showed up!" Boyd barked. "Now go keep everything in check before this all falls apart!"

"Got it!" Mist rushed to position.

Then something clicked within the petite cleric's mind.

"Boyd!" Mist yelled back. "I got a really, _really_ bad idea! Do you have a Bolt Axe on you?!"

"Now's _not _the time for magic, Mist!" Boyd yelled back.

"No, really!" Mist complied. "I have a Teleport stave on me, and if you can strike it with your Bolt Axe like a lightning rod, it could give the staff enough energy to teleport all of us-"

"Hell no!" Boyd yelled. "Do you actually think something so damn _ludicrous_ is going to work?!"

"I _DO_!"

The two turned to find Ulki yelling straight at them amidst the bleak, thunder-rolling sky. Swooping down with incredible speed, he landed straight upon the bridge of the ship.

"Ulki..." Boyd whispered.

"I do." Ulki repeated. "Even if the odds of it working are low, we don't exactly have any options left at this point. We're straight in the middle of a storm, and this'll probably be our last chance at this!"

Silence, amidst the roar of the storm. After a few seconds, Boyd sighed in defeat.

"Alright." Boyd nodded before turning to Mist. He then would equip his Bolt Axe, which happened to be neatly sheathed in his right leg, and simply stared at Mist as she brought her staff out.

With a light smash Boyd hit the Iron stave with the Bolt Axe, and seemingly like the wrath of Ashera, a thunder bolt came down from the sky and hit the stave.

The results were blinding, to be frank. Boyd winced at the burst of almost holy light blink the eyes of both Boyd and Mist. It would be then when Mist would raise the charged staff above her head.

"_Please work, please work, please work..." _Mist thought.

"Dānadharmaśīla dēvī agaṁ, āmhālā bacāvaṇē śaktī dē'ū!" Mist chanted. "_TELEPORT_!"

And everything went white.

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><p><strong>Yeah... sorry about the cliffhanger peeps. And how it was just a little too short... I honestly had to. XD<strong>

**But yeah... if any of you all are wondering what exactly Mist's chant was, well, thank Google Translate. (lol) I used the Marathi language and the English transcript of the translation, which promptly means "Oh Benevolent Goddess, give us the strength to escape!" To all Marathi speakers, sorry if it's a wee bit inaccurate... ya.**

**Anyway, Chapter 4 is coming soon! Hang tight!**


	5. Chapter 4: New Days

**Oh, my _god_. I'm really sorry the upload of this damn chapter took longer than needed. I procrastinate way too much...**

**Anyway, I don't want to ramble on about why I took so long to update, but it's finally here! Enjoy the chapter, you sumbitch~**

**Intelligent Systems and Nintendo owns Fire Emblem.**

* * *

><p>"Ugh... my <em>head<em>..."

Boyd moaned an unintelligible noise as he laid flat upon the C.S.S. Greil's deck. Apparently getting out of a gargantuan maelstrom with an equally colossal teleportation was anything but a cozy ride. Regardless, the muscular Reaver stood up, still being slightly wobbly from the storm. He proceeded to let out an exhausted sigh.

"Goddess, that was a rough ride." He mumbled, stretching with closed eyes. "Note to self: never again let thunder hit a magical stave."

Of course, after being through two wars and several duels to the death against godlike beings, a Maelstrom was arguably a walk in the park. But for some reason... this troubled him. Despite knowing that Mist, Oscar, Rolf and Ulki could definitely handle themselves (even though he constantly worries about his Valkyrie fiancé), and boasting some of the finest sailors Elincia could offer, he has an... ugly feeling of sorts from the incident. As if something is very out of place.

As soon as his stretching was finished, he felt his boot touch something squishy. He peered down to find an asleep Mist - with his boot on her cheek.

"What the-?!" Boyd immediately lifted his foot from the young priestess's jaw, with a face that visibly says "What the hell are you doing on the floor, Mist?" After looking a bit, Boyd chuckled softly. Mist certainly looked cute when she slept: almost boasting the innocence and grace of a Heron...

'Well, enough of _that_.' Boyd thought as he proceeded to lightly kick Mist in the head.

"PLUTO'S ISN'T A PLANET!" Mist cried as she jolted awake, her eyes wide with half-asleep surprise. As soon as she realized she was no longer in the dream world, the pain of that little kick to the jaw instantly sat in.

"OWWW!" Mist said, clutching her forehead. "Why'd you have to do THAT Boyd?!"

"Days like _this_ make me grateful I'm still alive." Boyd said with a hopeless grin.

"Sh-Shut up, jerk!" Mist said, lightly shoving her fiancé, with which he responded with a light laugh.

Just as Boyd said: it was good to be alive.

* * *

><p>Mist mumbled softly, rubbing her temple softly before looking around. "Uh, Boyd?"<p>

"Yeah, hon?"

"Where exactly are we?"

_That_ was when Boyd looked around to see fog surrounding the boat - and it was thick enough that you could cut a metaphorical knife through it. It was almost impossible to tell heads from tails in this mist.

"Oh, _goddess_." Boyd grumbled, rubbing his forehead out of slight annoyance. "Where did you teleport us, Mist? And on that note, where're the others?!"

"I don't know, Boyd! Heck, I don't even know if we actually-"

Before Mist could even finish her statement, a familiar green knight opened the door behind him. "Boyd... _there_ you are. Where've you been after all this time?!"

"Oh, it's you Oscar." Boyd said, diverting the conversation with his fiancé for a moment. "What about Rolf, Ulki and the others?"

"They're fine, but _you_ two just up and disappeared as soon as-" Oscar said - before noticing the smog around them.

"Boyd? Mist? Where did you teleport us?" Oscar said with a _very_ irritated look on his face.

"Yeah, uh..." Mist laughed sheepishly. "...the fog problem is something we're trying to work out here... I honestly have no idea where we are now."

After taking another quick glimpse at the seemingly infinite white that was the fog, Oscar let out an exasperated sigh. "What am I going to do with you two...?"

"As Greil used to say, sell us to the highest bidder?" Mist smiled wryly, obviously trying to lighten up the mood."

Oscar simply smiled.

"Probably."

* * *

><p>With the rest of the crew accounted for, and Ulki and Rolf brought up to the deck, the five heroes stood near the mast with one question in mind: 'where the hell are we?'<p>

"So..." Boyd grumbled. "We've teleported ourselves to goddess-knows-where, and thanks to the dead wind, it looks as we're not getting out anytime soon. Ideas?"

"None off the top of _my_ head..." Mist said with a sigh. "Hey Ulki... maybe you can hear whether we're still in the distance of Crimea? Or better yet, if there's land nearby?"

"Yeah!" Rolf chimed in. "That's what I was thinking!"

"Hmph, well..." Ulki mumbled, putting slight focus in his auricles.

"Uh, anything?" Oscar said while blinking slightly.

...

...

...

"_By the goddess!_" Ulki cried in a slightly out-of-character tone - which startled everyone nearby.

"Whoa! Ulki, what's up?" Boyd immediately interjected, being _very_ surprised in the Laguz's mild shock.

"Boyd..." Ulki said with quickly regained composure. "Well, for one thing, Crimea's still within distance at the very least."

"Well that's good!" Rolf said with a grin, which would quickly turn into a concerned frown. "But why'd you overreact to something like that? I mean, yeah, it's good to be near home, but..."

Ulki gave a small smile to the young Beorc. "Alright... you sure you ready for this?"

"Yeah, I am." Mist said with her signature bubbly smile. "It's not like I'm gonna freak out when-"

"...you learn that there's land just up north of here." Ulki said with an increasingly happy grin.

Everyone on the boat stood _still_.

Silence quickly followed. It wasn't a grim kind of silence, nor was it one of anticipation - it was more so an "I-better-be-hearing-what-I-think-I'm-hearing" kind of silence.

Boyd quickly returned the grin, tenfold in size. "Then that means..."

"Yeah." Ulki said before turning to the eager crew.

"Land ho, everyone! Land ho!"

Almost _instantly _after hearing those five words and eight syllables, cheering erupted across the ship. For those who _weren't_ overjoyed this simply didn't hear the news.

Boyd's smile said it all, after all.

"HA_HA_!" Boyd said instantly grabbing Mist and pulling her into a bear hug. "WE DID IT, MIST! WE FOUND A NEW CONTINENT!"

"Th-That's great... Boyd... stop cr-crushing me..." And even regardless of her lung-crushing state, Mist couldn't help but happily grin. To see Boyd _this_ happy was arguably one of the greatest rewards she could have. If he was happy, she was too.

While Mist embraced Boyd, Rolf gave a cheerful laugh as high-fived his older brother; Oscar was no different in smiles. Ulki simply chuckled at the joyous scene.

When Boyd finally let go of Mist, the older Beorc simply smirked. "I am _totally _ripping of those clothes for celebration." Boyd said in a whisper.

Mist simply turned luminescent. "Hehe... p-pervert."

"Alright Ulki! Is the new content within rowboat distance?" Boyd said, quickly diverting his attention to his Laguz companion.

"Yes, it's not a far drift." Ulki nodded. "It's only a mile from here."

"Alright everyone!" Mist said with her spirit renewed. "Let's get to dry land! For Crimea!"

"HUZZAH!"

* * *

><p>The first though Boyd had as soon as they left the fog was how damn <em>beautiful <em>the new continent was.

As he stepped on the white, sandy beaches of the new continent, he was greeted with a view of lush vegetation and the sound of flora and fauna amidst all this. Boyd gave a wide smile that went from ear-to-ear before turning to Mist, who was right beside him.

"So Boyd..." Mist smiled. "What do we do now?"

Boyd simply responded with a grin.

"Tell Ulki to fly back to Crimea. We got big news for Tellius."

* * *

><p><strong>Oh thank fuck, it is DONE. I'm sorry it took so long everyone, and I hope I'll deliver more news to you later on! Ciao!<strong>


	6. Chapter 5: Boydland!

**Holy shi... man, it took a while to make bloody Chapter 5. Since September?! I'm really sorry it took so long everyone. I've been grounded on top of a whole lot of other crap to deal with as well. I hope you all find it in my heart to forgive me for the delay.**

**But like I promised, I'm not going anywhere with this fanfic for a while; that's a given. I'll stay with this piece of work until I'm all done with it.**

**That said, let Chapter 5 begin!**

**Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.**

* * *

><p>"Are you truly asking me to go back to Crimea when it's <em>hundreds <em>of miles away... _all to deliver a mere message_?"

"Sorta."

Ulki sighed at Boyd. Loudly. It would certainly be a chore to get all the way from nowhere to Crimea. Boyd and the crew landed of sandy white beaches, with the C.S.S. Greil not too far from sight; wherever this island was, it was without question that it was some distance from Crimea.

"Boyd." Ulki stated matter-of-factly. "You do realize that Crimea is directly out of my hearing range? And mind you, I can hear for quite a distance."

Boyd simply looked at the sand in response. "Oh, I'm aware of that. But I'm confident that you'll be able to deliver the message in peak condition."

"Yet it's all for one message! We could be a massive distance away from the mainland, and just I said, it's all for-"

"No, it's fine Oscar." Ulki interjected, then smiling at Boyd. "Sure, it'll be a hassle, but the hawk Laguz _do_ have more stamina than a Pegasus or Wyvern. I'll see it done."

Boyd nodded, before cocking an eyebrow. "Great. But you know where to go, right?"

Ulki simply chuckled, giving all the confirmation Boyd needed.

"I'll find the way."

Without a word to spare, he flew off. As dark brown feathers gracefully flew onto the sandy beaches, Boyd, Mist and the others looked in the direction he flew off to.

How long has it been since Boyd and Ulki became friends? It's something of a distant memory since the Mad King's War. Ulki always liked Boyd, though; despite his initial reservations and introverted behavior, his bond with the green-haired warrior was largely due to how different he was to so many other Beorc. While others such as Oscar and Mist struggled to create friendships with the other Laguz, Boyd didn't hesitate. And it was _Ulki_ who reserved in these interactions.

That's probably the thing Ulki likes the most about Boyd: he had pure, unadulterated courage. Even with maturity, he still has that bravery few other Beorc claim to have.

With Ulki disappearing into the sky, Boyd turned his attention to the crew. "Alright everyone, we got work to do. First thing first, we need to establish a camp of sorts... after that, we need to scout around the area."

"Ooh!" Rolf chimed in. "I can do that! I have the best scouting skills!"

"Alright then..." Boyd said while trying to stifle his laughter. He was just too adorable. "Rolf be careful out there." He then pointed his finger at two soldiers. "You and you, you go with him."

"Aye aye!"

"Yessir!"

"Alright, Mist, Oscar and I will manage things with the rest of you guys." Boyd said with his signature grin. "Any objections?"

Mist instantly raised a hand.

Boyd sighed. "We'll spend time searching for Ike, _afterwards_."

Mist lowered her hand, sulking slightly.

Boyd chuckled, as he put out his hand. "We're a team in this one, so let's get this done."

Mist smiled, snapping out of her mild depression. "Okay then. We're in this together!" She instantaneously put her hand on Boyd's.

"Alright!" Rolf said as he did the same.

"We're with you Boyd." Oscar nodded as he followed.

Soon, every crewmember had their hands resting on each other. Boyd couldn't help but have his optimism surge with the team spirit. "Alright everyone!" And with that little quip, they raised their hands into the sky.

"FOR CRIMEA!"

* * *

><p>"He's back? Already?!"<p>

Elincia couldn't help but contain her surprise. She decided to have a quick cup of tea in the Royal Dining Room when a courier rushed exasperatedly torwards the queen. She was expecting Ulki to arrive at some point, but not _this_ fast. It took two days for the mail to arrive at its destination, but it took mere hours for Ulki to come back... either she was crazy, or that's 1/4th shorter than last time! And if they arrived at their destination, it would have taken longer.

Something was definitely up.

"Answer me, courier!" Elincia cried, more so out of surprise than anger.

"Y-Yes, your highness! He's returned! I-I don't know how it took so little time to get her, but he's nonetheless back in Tellius."

After the shock of the revelation wore off, Elincia became a bit calmer. "Um... okay. You did excellent, erm..."

"Maurice. My name's Maurice."

"Okay Maurice, I..." she then took a deep breath to recompose herself. "...thank you for the delivery. I suppose Ulki's within the vicinity?"

"If by 'vicinity,' you mean right outside, then yes." As fate would have it, the hawk Laguz listener was right outside the dining room - and he certainly had a concerned look on his face.

Ulki bit his lip as he walked torwards the Queen of Crimea. He was just as baffled on how short it took to get home. It just didn't add up! How could it have taken mere hours to return home when they could've been on the other side of the world?

Before he could finish thinking, Elincia spoke up. "Okay... any news?"

Ulki snapped himself out of his pondering to give his best smile. "Indeed."

Elincia smiled from ear to ear. "You don't mean that..."

"There's land beyond the boundaries, yes." Ulki chuckled.

"_I knew it! I _knew _there was another continent out there!_" Elincia giggled aloud, clearly excited by this discovery. She couldn't believe it. After so many years thinking that Tellius was the only continent left, there was finally some proof that there _is_ land beyond our own! "Ulki, we must colonize it! There could be plenty of new wildlife and materials and-"

"Calm down, milady." Ulki sighed, slightly exasperated by the young queen's giddiness. "Now look, I can definitely understand why you would be excited right now, but let's not forget that there needs to be scouting, first and foremost. That's what the crew of the C.S.S. Greil are currently trying to achieve as of now."

Elincia's smile turned into a slightly embarrassed frown. "Oh... sorry milord Ulki..." She turned red. "I might've, um, overreacted..."

Ulki nodded. "Peace, milady, its fine. What matters is that we send support to the crew before colonizing it."

"Good idea," Elincia smiled. "But now that I think about it... come over here!"

Ulki did so. "Um... milady?"

The 19-year old queen began whispering into the hawk-Laguz's ear, and with every word, Ulki became more and more surprised.

"_Really_, ma'am? Isn't he supposed to be in retirement?"

"Maybe," Elincia nodded. "But few people are closer to Boyd than him. He'll certainly jump at the call... at least I _hope_ he does..."

Ulki sighed, rubbing his temple. "And let me guess. I need to return back to the new lands?"

Elincia giggled softly. "Right on, milord."

Needless to say, Ulki couldn't help but groan aloud, something slightly out of character for the otherwise diligent servant to Tibarn.

* * *

><p>Boyd had to admit, the construction of the camp went smoothly. Sure all they could muster were some tents on the sandy beaches, but with the help of Urvan, he was able to create a makeshift wall made of wood. It was certainly better than nothing he'll admit.<p>

Oh. Urvan.

Boyd, as he rested in his tent, couldn't help but smile at the masterpiece axe. It was a ebony Double Axe with light golden trimming, and a mass that meant only the strongest could wield it. Such a simple axe meant a lot to him, as it signified him as a successor to the legendary Greil.

The events on _how_ he got it made him smile even more.

* * *

><p><em>Boyd couldn't help but be nervous. This is justified, consider they we're about to <em>fight a goddess and her extremely powerful disciples. _It wasn't as if they had any other choice, however: if they failed to put an end to Sephiran's schemes, the world will certainly meet his end. _

_Boyd didn't really like to think of the potential calamity; he masked his fear for his lover, his brothers and especially his family with his signature overconfidence. Yet even then, he was worried. What if they failed to stop Ashera's Chosen? What if they'll turn to stone like all else? Who will stop them if that happens?_

_He didn't like to think about it - at all. But as he looked at the gargantuan tower within mere kilometers of distance, he was reminded at what was stake. All they fought was a warm-up for this, and they had to be ready for the final battle._

_But as I said, he didn't like to think of it - he had to deal with Commander Ike calling him to his quarters._

"_Enter."_

_Boyd did just that, pushing aside the tent flat. In front of him was Ike on a birch table loitered with tactics and maps, with something sticking out behind him._

"_Er... commander?" Boyd was surprised that he called him in, to be honest._

"_Boyd," Ike said as he tapped his fingers together, "what are you going to bring for the final battle?"_

"_Oh." Boyd blinked. He hasn't really thought of it too much, leading the green-haired Reaver to silently scold himself. He didn't exactly have the brightest memory, and especially considering that they we're going to fight a goddess, it made worse that he didn't put too much thinking on what weapons to bring._

"_Hm, I..." Boyd trailed off. "I plan to bring an Arbalest and bless it, so I could put my crossbow skills to use. Maybe a custom Silver Axe and a Tomahawk to boot..."_

_Ike simply smiled. "Well, I want this to be an addition to your collection."_

_Boyd blinked. "Huh?"_

_Ike breathed in a little, then gave Boyd a serious glance. "Boyd... I think - no, I _know _- you should have this."_

_Then with both of his arms, he dragged the item that lay behind him and his desk. As it became more and more visible, Boyd's eyes widened into complete and utter shock. "No," he thought, "this cannot be what I think it is... it can't..."_

_But it was: it was Urvan, the very axe Greil used until his demise._

_Boyd's mouth was agape at the gargantuan ebony axe glistened in front of him. "Boyd," Ike explained. "I may be Greil's son and successor, but _you _were passed down his axe-fighting style. That entitles you, above everyone else, to wield it."_

_Boyd simply looked on in shock as he held the two-headed horror show. "I... I don't know what to say... I-Ike, do you really want me to have this?"_

_Ike nodded. "Let Ashera bless it alongside Arbalest. You earned it."_

_After the sheer astonishment wore off, Boyd's agape mouth quickly formed into an ear-to-ear smile. "I... I'm honored to have this Ike. Thank you."_

"_No, Boyd." Ike smiled back._

"_Thank _you_."_

* * *

><p>Boyd chuckled at the fond memories. Just as he finished ruminating on the event, Mist and Rolf knocked on the tent post.<p>

"Er, honey, can you come outside?"

Boyd quickly got out of bed to walk outside, the dim afternoon glistening in his eyes.

"Did you need something, Mist?" Boyd smiled at his lover.

"Well, Rolf's going to begin scouting ahead, and..." Mist tapped her foot on the sandy beaches, slightly embarrassed. "I was thinking of giving this place a name, any ideas?"

"Boydland."

"GET REAL!" Mist kicked the warrior in the shin, causing the taller lover to wince. Rolf couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Seriously, Boyd!" Mist cried. "There's no way that's not a narcissistic name! I-"

"Actually," Rolf said after recovering from his laughter fit. "That sounds kinda catchy."

Silence.

Mist began to laugh rather awkwardly, before suddenly wincing. "_Please_ tell me your joking, Rolf."

"Uh... no?"

"If I can join in," said a fellow female sailor, "it's not too bad sounding."

"I think so to!" A younger female giggled.

Before long, all of the explorers and soldiers began murmuring between themselves - all in approval of the new name. As the goddess would make it be, Oscar walked in at that very moment.

"Hey everyone, supper's read-" He couldn't finish his sentence before getting grabbed in the collar by Mist.

"Oscar, please, please, _PLEASE_, tell me that Boydland is an awful name!" Mist cried aloud.

Oscar simply blinked. If a man with squinty eyes could blink.

"I, uh... it sounds kind of good."

"AAAAAAAARGH!" Mist wailed, before glaring at Boyd. "YOU'RE SUCH A NARCISSIST!"

As Rolf began another laughing fit, Oscar simply facepalmed at the newfound argument between the two lovers.

* * *

><p>Two hours have passed since the argument, and before long Rolf went off scouting.<p>

And may the goddess _damn_ this insufferable heat.

Rolf groaned aloud as he wiped the sweat from his brow, slowly prodding through the jungle landscape. The green-haired sniper had keen senses; he _had_ to have them, in order to excel at scouting. But this heat _completely_ overwhelmed him, and weakened his senses to a minimum. That wasn't getting into the fact that he was hungry.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuh... huh?" Rolf turned around to see a package of sorts on a tree. Wait... was it a sandwich?

Rolf prayed to Ashera that it was so, as he slowly walked to the package. "I hope that's something edib-"

_**FWOOOSH!**_

In a moment's notice, Rolf found himself trapped in a hunter's nest. After a futile struggle, Rolf groaned aloud.

"Smooth move, Rolf..." he sighed. "Bring a knife next time..." before he could continue he heard a voice up ahead - a girl's voice.

"Yes! Caught something!"

And she was speaking... the Beorc's language?

* * *

><p><strong>YES! FINALLY! CHAPTER FIVE'S DOWN AND OUT! Feel free to review the fanfic at will, and I'll be more than happy to accept any concrit and advice. Sorry it took me so long!<strong>

**And edit: major thanks to **

**~CR26, out**


	7. Chapter 6: New Questions Arise

**Two chapters in one month? Oh, what the hell.**

**Anyway, I'm glad you all are liking Beyond the Boundaries so far guys! If I'm lucky, it'll hopefully get a lot more attention in the future. Hopefully.**

**Anyway, please point out any grammatical errors I happen to make. It would really help y'know. Oh, and make sure to give an honest concrit review! I'm fine with pure praise, but I'd love it if I was pointed out with any errors in the story. **

**With that being said, let's dive in!**

**(Edit: I forgot to include line breaks. Sorry about that!**

**Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.**

* * *

><p>It was kind of hard being without your companions. Brom was a close friend of Boyd and a veteran of two wars, and he didn't expect to become so strong over these three years. He just joined the militia solely to protect his family from Daein.<p>

So, the absolute _last_ thing he was counting on was him becoming a beacon of hope for Crimea, and one of their greatest champions.

He wielded a blessed Wishblade and fought side-to-side with the greatest heroes of Tellius, fought a seemingly invincible king and goddess, and - of course - _won_. If you told him that more than a year before the Mad King's War, he would've probably thought that was a bad joke. But look at him now... not bad for a farmer.

However, he was moving on from that time period. He _did_ have a family to raise, after all. The humble farm the Lancaster family resided in was currently vacant of people, excepting Brom of course. The children still living in the household are at school, her wife was managing the local store downtown, and Meg moved out with a family of her own.

So what _was_ he doing anyway? Inside the basement of the household where all of his spears, axes and even his armor resided - he saved most of his weaponry from the war in case someone undesirable visited the household. Most equipment was in in good condition, save for a few notches on his lances, war axes and javelins.

Looking at the selection of armor and weaponry, Brom had to admit. As chaotic and horrible as war was, he made some friends he'll never forget. Boyd was one those friends, and with the Mighty Soldier himself venturing to goddess-knows-where, he'll have a hard time _not_ missing the lovable warrior.

He chuckled at the fond memories while he rested his hand on an armor stand. Boyd was not just an exceptional warrior, he was an exceptional _companion_. What he saw beyond all that girth and weight was a young man who saw the potential in everyone. If it wasn't for him, Brom wouldn't have trained as hard to become one of the greatest Marshalls in Tellian history.

The thing he loved the most about him, however, was how _nice_ he is. Underneath all that bravado lies a man who wants to do good in the world. As time has proven, the two warriors became inseparable both on the battlefield and off of it.

"You miss him, don't you?"

An effeminate giggle resonated from behind the chubby farmer, who then turned around to see Elincia smiling in front of him.

"M-Milady!" Brom cried. "What're y'all doin' all the way out here?!"

Elincia smiled. "I figured it'd be nice to revisit an old friend... like you, Brom."

Brom blinked. A silence followed, and his initial astonishment would slowly turn into a smile. She really came to visit, after all this time.

The pudgy farmer slowly walked up to the elegant princess, and almost without thinking, he gave the petite queen a hug. Elincia felt the air rush out of her body, but a smile formed on her lips when he heard a joyful laugh and felt several pats on the back.

"It really _IS_ you, milady!" Brom laughed. "I can't believe it's been this long!"

Elincia nodded. "It's wonderful to see you too Brom. How's the family?"

Brom laughed again. "Oh, they're great! Ellie's gonna graduate this year, and y'all can bet we're excited as a brazen bull!"

Suddenly feeling that accommodations need to be made for the unexpected guest, Brom began rushing torwards the stairway. Upon reaching the kitchen, he began fiddling with the boiling pot and a magic-powered stove. "Say, d'yall want some tea? I'd be more than happy to give you some we prepared earlier? Oh! Maybe some cheese sandwiches! We've been rated 'Best Cheese of 649!'"

Elincia giggled at the farmer's energy. "That'd be wonderful, thank you. But that's not what I'm here for. I need your help."

Brom, realizing he should slow down just a bit, turns to Elincia with a raised eyebrow. "Huh. Well, alrighty then! Lemme just cook up some nice food and we'll talk this out."

The queen of Crimea simply smiled, giggling yet again.

"I said it once, and I'll say it again: that'd be wonderful, Brom."

* * *

><p>"BUT BOYDLAND'S SUCH A <em>STUPID NAME!<em> HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET _THAT_ THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULL?!"

"IT. WAS. A. _JOKE, MIST!_ WHEN WILL YOU NOT TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY?!"

Boyd and Mist we're in love with each other. That much is certain. But even then, they're one of those lovers who like to argue ceaselessly as they like to love each other. Oscar simply watched the verbal carnage between the two and rubbed his temple, clearly exhausted by the ceaseless bickering.

"Guys, come on... even if Boyd's joking or not, this is a pointless thing to argue about. You're both acting like children right now." Oscar said while being as reasonable as possible.

"You kidding?!" Mist cried, springing her arms into the air. "There's acting childish, and then there's being egotistical! For Ashera's sake!"

"Oscar's right. This is pointless... my vocal chords are already acting up."

"But it _is_ pointless, Boyd!"

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it's _not_."

"YES, IT IS!"

"NO, IT'S NOT!"

"YES, IT IS!"

"NO, IT'S NOT!"

"YES, IT IS!"

"NO, IT'S NOT!"

"YES, IT IS!"

"NO, IT'S NOT!"

"_**WILL YOU TWO JUST SHUT UP?!"**_

Oscar was literally out of breath from those six words. Mist and Boyd simply looked at the squinty-eyed Silver Knight in shock, completely taken aback from the outburst. But it wasn't really the outburst that scared the two; it was because he _opened his eyes completely_.

After regaining his composure (and breath), the cavalry captain turned a light shade of red. "Uh... sorry. That was really out of character for me."

Mist had to blink twice before she snapped herself out of her fear. "It's... fine. W-We're sorry, Oscar."

"Yeah, what she said." Boyd said hastily, shifting around a bit.

Oscar simply sighed heavily. These two were _seriously_ beginning to try his patience, despite very much considering them family. All he did was turn to the jungle, and an idea instantly sprung into his mind.

"Say... isn't Rolf supposed to be back by now?"

Boyd and Mist turned to the dense forest, then turning to each other.

"Um..."

* * *

><p>"<em>...awake?"<em>

"_Hello...?"_

Rolf moaned miserably as his head lied on a tree's thick root. A girl with azure hair and red eyes fearfully poked at the unconscious Marksman: almost as if he was dead.

Suddenly Rolf, the younger of the two tweens, began shuffling around, looking very much alive. The girl gave a happy cry of joy and immediately picked him up, her hands around his waist and back.

"You're awake! C'mon, wake up!" The young girl happily cried. And as if Ashunera answered her command, Rolf's eyes began to flutter open.

"Whuh - OWWWWWWWWWWW!" The 13-year old archer clutched the back of his head in pain, almost as if some sort of hot coal was pressed onto his head. "Ow ow ow ow ow owwww!"

"Eek! A-Are you alright?!" The girl was initially taken aback before realizing. "Oh right, that branch hit you on the head..."

"What do you _MEAN_ a branch hit me on the head?!" Rolf shouted, less out of anger and more out of pain.

"Well... I, uh... oh, this is embarrassing..." the girl blushed softly, amidst a cacophony of pained grunts. "You see, I was planning to trap some local animals for dinner, and that net you stepped into was one of them..."

Her blush turned even redder. "Aaaaaand, I wasn't expecting someone your size to get into the net. You we're staring for a bit, then... you fell. And the branch knocked you out."

Once things calmed down, the girl looked away shyly.

"Um... sorry about that."

Rolf was honestly more surprised over the fact that she was speaking _Common_, the language of the Beorc. Putting that tidbit of thought aside, he simply smiled. The girl's reddening faltered, and she pulled the Marksman onto his feet.

"It's fine... I was careless for not knowing where I was. Who're you?" the archer smiled, shaking her hand.

The girl giggled. "I'm Madeline. Who are _YOU _for that matter?"

"Rolf. My name's Rolf." The archer smiled, before his face quickly shot up in shock.

"OH, _SON OF A FERAL_!" Rolf cried. "Wh-what time is it?!"

Madeline blinked. "Er... 6:30...?"

"Crap!" Rolf began to rush off. It's been one hour and fifteen minutes since he was knocked out. "My family's probably worried sick!"

The azure-haired girl began to rush after him. "Come ON! You'll get lost! I know this part of Gallia better than anyone!"

"Then lend me a hand!" Rolf echoed. Once he was out of hearing distance, the 14-year old maiden sighed.

"He sure is an interesting kid..." Almost in a moment's notice, Madeline rushed off to find Rolf.

* * *

><p>"Y'all really want me to get back into th' swing of things?"<p>

"I do. Provided it's possible of course."

Brom simply stroked his chin, pondering about Elincia's proposition. What she wants him to do was simple enough: join up with Boyd on his adventure.

"Well... what about my family? I can't just go off and leave 'em like that." Brom stated with a raised eyebrow. He almost certainly wanted to join up with Ike and the others on this adventure: he _really_ did. However, if he had to choose between his family's safety and adventure, he'd choose the former in a heartbeat. There's no way he was leaving his family behind.

"I told your wife about it," Elincia continued. "She understands, just as the rest of your family does. They're definitely aware of the friendship you and Boyd share."

Brom sighed, slightly out of exasperation. _Another_ adventure? As if one wasn't enough? But he knew he wouldn't be a good friend if he just stood by and watch the 19-year old warrior struggle with the trials and tribulations that came with the adventure.

So, he agreed.

"Alright, ya got me, ma'am" Brom laughed. "I'll see what I can do about your friend."

"Excellent!" the girl giggled. "I'm expecting you to arrive at Port Toha by tomorrow."

Brom nodded with a smile exasperated with the new adventure he was about to be put through.

Then again, he wasn't complaining.

* * *

><p>"Oh, for the love of... THERE you are! Where <em>were<em> you, Rolf?!" Mist said this as the aforesaid archer rushed up to the camp. It was already dusk, with the sun barely on the horizon. How long they _have_ been out there was a mystery to the group at least.

"It's... a _long_ story, Mist." Rolf said, clearly bushed by the trek. "And I would've gotten lost to if it wasn't for..."

"Me?"

The giggle resonated from behind Rolf and Mist. A panicked cry arose from Boyd.

"What in the goddess's name are YOU DOING HERE?!" Boyd echoed, dropping the shank of meat he was currently eating.

"Boss, what's wro - huh?!" Two soldiers rushed straight to their captain, and was quite shocked to find Madeline right behind him.

"Wait, what's a Beorc doing here?! Did she sneak onto the ship?!" The other soldier said aloud.

"Huh? I live here. What makes you think I came from somewhere else?" Madeline blinked, almost innocently.

Silence.

"You... live here...?" Rolf whispered. How in the goddess's name could a Beorc live on an uncharted island such as this? The only possible explanation for this is...

"Yup! Welcome to Tellius!"

Well, that's one part of the puzzle solved.

* * *

><p><strong>Finally, after seven chapters of filler we're getting into the good stuff of this fic!<strong>

**Now, if you fear this'll be a minimalist effort plot, you'll be surprised. I plan for this fanfic to go on for quite a while. If we were to count this as a Fire Emblem videogame, we haven't even reached Chapter/Level 1! The whole fanfic in Fire Emblem's chapter system would probably be 32 chapters - but that doesn't mean the fic will be 32 chapters more... trust me, it'll get... interesting. ;)**

**Anyway, any concrit and advice would very much be appreciated, especially if you have questions with the plot. As for this Madeline figure... who is she? Why has the gang landed in Tellius? Just where ARE they, for that matter?**

**Well, only time will tell. Until then, readers! Make sure to R&R too!**


	8. Chapter 7: A Temporal Anomaly

**H-Hey guys, what'd I mi- *tomatoes start flying***

**Anyway, I'm sorry I've been AWOL for this long! I couldn't help but continue my love affair with XCOM and a variety of other PC games. I hope you guys have the heart to forgive me... not that it's _this_ serious, but even so. XD**

**Anyway, time for some responses!**

**BrowncoatJedi: Thanks so much for sticking with me _and_ this story. I'm aware of the line break error, that's something I forget quite a bit. But nonetheless, I'm really happy you're enjoying it so far mate. =D**

**McHearth: And thank _you _for sticking with me as well! I ought to add, the whole "Gallia" fiasco wasn't exactly foreshadowing. It was me giving the Freudian slip. Oops. But yeah, I'm glad you consider this story amongst the "gems waiting to be discovered." There's been a myriad of Ylisse stories, and those kinds of stories tend to get ludicrous amounts of praise and attention. This ESPECIALLY applies to those stories that are smart enough to appeal to the general audience of the fanbase. Guess it's the Newbie Boom that makes all these Awakening fanfics so popular. XD**

**Anyway, the same deal as usual: I'll be more than happy to listen to concrit and all that good stuff. But as of now, I'll be responding to reviews you guys post in the review section. I figured it'd be nicer of me to acknowledge all of you gentlemen and ladies.**

**Also, I figure it'd be nice to clarify that Madeline looks like Ayanami Rei from Neon Genesis Evangelion. I'm guessing none of you even heard of that show before, but if you're wondering what Madeline looks like aside from "azure hair and red eyes" look up "Ayanami Rei Evangelion Wiki" in Google Search. Or copy and paste it. Either one works. =P**

**Anyway, let's get this show on the road!**

**Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.**

* * *

><p>"Yup! Welcome to Tellius?"<p>

"..."

"Huh? What's up, Boyd?"

"Tellius? Like... _Tellius_ Tellius?"

"What? Is there something wrong?" Madeline asked in an innocent tone of voice. Whoever these strangers were, she knew that _something_ made them look so anguished one way or another.

She didn't know that she had created one hell of a confusing scenario. How - no, _why_ did they end up back on the very land they were raised on? They did everything right, nothing could've possibly gone wrong on this trip. So what is going _on?_

As for Boyd - the captain and leader of the expedition - he was trying his best to keep his anger in check; he truly was. The absolute _last_ thing he needed was to lash out at his own stupidity, how he literally landed on _Tellius, _for the Goddess's sake. After recirculating his air supply, he turned his attention to the effeminate girl that was looking so innocuous at the moment.

Almost like that, it hit him. They warped all the way back here. Thanks to the maelstrom they encountered while on the trip, they landed all the way out _here._

Boyd couldn't keep his frustration any longer - he groaned out loud, attracting the attention of his crew. "We _warped all the way out here,_ damnit!" Boyd cried.

"W-Warped? But how-" Then Mist remembered what she was talking about. The petite medic turned red at the thought of _that_ fiasco, and diverted her head from attention. "S-Sorry about that, guys..."

Oscar shook his head, yet he brandished his best smile torwards the healer. "Its fine, Mist. Things like this happen all the time. What matters is that we're safe."

"We best report to Elincia, I guess..." Rolf sighed, a bit disappointed. And that would mean that..."

"Um... excuse me, but you mean _Queen _Elincia, right?" Madeline asked torwards the green-haired archer.

"Yeah, her."

"You mean the person who was Crimea's greatest ruler?"

"Yup, her... waitwaitwait. _Was?_"

"Elincia's _dead._ She's been that way for over millennia."

Silence. Dead silence over what they just heard.

To say they were completely baffled would be an understatement. If they weren't going deaf, then they learned how the crew of the C.S.S. Greil leaped _one thousand years into the future. _

Madeline was getting a little nervous over the silence. "Er... is..." She had to spit it out.

"...y-you're not from here, are you?"

Boyd was the first to respond - and in a rather appropriate manner, too:

"_YA THINK?!"_

* * *

><p>Some time has passed since it's been made clear where exactly they are. It was night time at this point, so it wouldn't really take a brilliant scholar to figure out that you would find them sitting around a makeshift campfire. Unfortunately, the lumber was a little singed, as was the forest where said lumber was cut down. As for how <em>that <em>happened, Boyd would use a Bolt Axe to inadvertently create a gargantuan wildfire; all because he wasn't paying attention to the axe he was currently holding onto. Hadn't Mist brought her Wind Edge along, things would've went straight from bad to worse.

But that was an entirely different story.

The reason why everyone was currently gathered at the campfire was to brainstorm a little. See, they were trying to piece together two things in particular: one, how the hell they wounded up a thousand years into the future. Two, how exactly to get _back_. Not much progress was being made at the current time.

The only real lead they had at this point was the Warping Incident, which would explain how they warped a thousand years into the future. But _how_ to get back was debatable. These four heroes and their small little army of mercenaries and conscripts defied _all_ known areas of magic by turning up into an entirely different era. Such magic was currently impossible to perform, and if it was, it might as well be a one-way trip. Obviously that possibility _really _worries Boyd.

But he tried to get his mind of it for a while: as he sipped on the stew his brother made, he felt most of his worries melt away. "Even a thousand years into the future, you're still an awesome chef, bro." Boyd grinned at Oscar.

Oscar chuckled. "Why thank you! I'll admit though, I'm not all that familiar with Gallian herbology- assuming we _are_ in Gallia, of course."

"You're not far off!" Madeline sweetly smiled at the Silver Knight. "We aren't in the heart of it, but we're definitely close to the border between here Crimea."

"Well, I'm just happy to see that my mapping skills haven't rusted." Oscar sighed, more out of happiness than irritation. "What say you, Boyd?"

As he turned to Boyd, he was granted a less than pleasant sight; Boyd gobbling up at the stew as if he hasn't eaten in days.

As most kids would, Rolf and Madeline bursted out laughing, while the grown-ups - more specifically Oscar - cringed. Mist gagged for a second.

"_Ewewewewewewwwwwwwwwwwwww!_" Mist wailed. "For Goddess's sake, Boyd, eat like a human being!"

"Whuh? Sorreh, mah mouph is phull." Boyd responded, with the half-chewed slop in his mouth being visible to all.

Mist couldn't take it anyone. She turned a deathly shade of green, and only had a second to respond before losing her lunch. "E-Excuse me."

The following smell of vomit and stew would come to haunt that location for years.

Oscar rolled his eyes as Rolf and Madeline's laughter echoed amidst a sound of aggrieved vomiting and lurid chewing. It was one of those moments where he wondered if he was surrounded by idiots.

Yet despite little to no progress being made during the brainstorm, Madeline would come up with an ingenious idea the following day.

* * *

><p>"Your <em>sister's<em> house?!" Boyd asked to Madeline.

"What, you didn't know the whole time I had a family?" The azure-haired girl retorted.

Okay, maybe the idea wasn't exactly ingenious. After all, it was just a trip torwards Madeline's residence. No other planning than that. But if one considered the scope of this navigational catastrophe, _any_ good ideas would greatly be appreciated at this time and point, even one as simple as this.

Rolf cocked an eyebrow. "So, uh... sorry if it's not my place to ask, but is your sister good to you?"

Madeline blinked. "Of course she is! Why would _that_ not be in your place to ask?"

Rolf shyly looked down. "Nothing, I uh... nothing. Just..." he suddenly turned red. "Nothing."

Madeline blinked innocently. "Uh, why? Wait..." Madeline crossed her arms. "You know about her cooking habits, don't you?!"

Cue the awkward silence.

"Cooking habits?" Rolf asked, trying to piece things together.

"Okay..." Boyd quickly tried to divert the topic. "So you're sister's the only one who resides there?"

Madeline jumped on a nearby log, and began walking on it; the expedition team quickly followed. "Well... she has her fiancé. I'm guessing that's good!"

"So, no mother and father then?" Mist asked to the girl. "There ought to be somebody else as your guardian."

The mood died with those words, and the azure-haired girl's face dropped from exuberant to instantaneously melancholy.

"My mom and dad are dead. They were murdered."

Silence.

"I... I..." Mist whispered, clearly shocked at inadvertently bringing up such a topic. She immediately began a flurry of apologies. "I'm so sorry I said that! I-I didn't know-"

Madeline cut her off with a sad smile. "No, a lot of people ask that question. I'm used to it by now. It's fine Mist."

Still, she was hurting.

"_Leave mommy alone!"_

"_Madeline, RUN!"_

"_Shut the hell up, you dirty wretch!"_

Those three sentences still echoed in her head when she was little. She tried to put it aside. She really tried. She wanted to forget any of this even happened, remind herself that she still has Flynn and Eleanor. But the memories of that tragic day still lingered within her, and good _Goddess_ does it still hurt.

She just wants to bury it.

Despite the younger girl's best attempt of burying her sadness, Mist still sensed some of it in her facial expressions. The younger girl felt guilt rush over her like a tidal wave on a beach. "Ugh, me and my big mouth. I'm sorry Madeline." Boyd out of instinct patted her on the back.

The younger girl wryly smiled. "Like I said, it's fine. You had no way of knowing. Can we stop talking about this though?"

Boyd nodded. "I understand completely."

"So, where was I again? Oh, right." Madeline quickly changed the topic for the better. "My sister's fiancé used to be a magician, so he probably knows a thing or two about teleportation and all that stuff. So, how about there?" She asked.

"Hmm." Boyd began stroking his stubble. "Any objections, guys?"

"Nope!"

"Nuh-uh."

"None."

That's truly all the confirmation the Reaver needs. Sure, there are certainly better solutions to this dilemma, but this is all they can go by. Goddess only knows where this'll lead him and his crew, but he can only pray to the Holy Two that this won't lead to bloodshed.

"Alright. Then let's get to wo-"

"Wait," Rolf asked. "Does that mean we gotta go through the jungle again...?" Rolf groaned.

He would unfortunately get his answer an hour later, when the group would trek through miles of ungodly humid rainforests.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, that'll do for this chapter. Yes, I'm aware it's really short, but I want to pace myself better... besides, I work best at writing in short bursts, so there you have it!<strong>

**Apparently _some_ questions have been answered. Some. We know that this Tellius is a whole millennium into the future, and the most likely explanation for the disaster lies through the Warp Stave and Bolt Axe. But _how_ did this land them all the way here? Is there a way to get back? Did they even send Ulki to nowhere?**

**Most importantly... who's _is_ Madeline?**

**That'll all be answered in due time. As usual, grammatical corrections would be appreciated, and any concrit/praise would be awesome. Thanks!**

**~Boyd the Reaver**

**Edit: FFFF- Damnit! Almost forgot about the line breaks. Sorry guys!**


	9. Chapter 8: Revelation

**It's about time I started another chapter!**

**Sorry again for the delay, I got grounded for reasons I'd rather not delve into. I can't answer reviews until June 1st, so hang tight, okay?**

**Anyway, here's the biggest chapter thus far!**

**Disclaimer: Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.**

* * *

><p><em>Gallian Shire<em>

If it wasn't obvious enough at this point, Rolf _hated_ humid weather. Most Beorc can't stand it, but he hated it with enough fiery passion to melt Daein.

His abhorrence for said weather went back to his scouting days for the Greil Mercenaries, both in mercenary work and during wartime. He learned that a good way _not_ to get killed while he was scouting was to move fast, and move quietly. Alerting the enemy of your presence - as well as damn well near everyone in the army - meant things were going to get very ugly and very bloody. He had his first taste of reconnaissance when he, Mist and Elincia evaded Daein forces while traversing through the Gallian-Crimean border. It would be pretty accurate to say the difficulty of his job escalated from there, especially in consideration to Feral Laguz. Damn things can sniff a man a mile away.

Of course he didn't really let that bother him in the slightest. Mapping out the enemy's encampment was a stress-reliever, oddly enough. It gave him a sense of freedom and choice, as well as the necessity for constant vigilance being a welcome addition. Well, it's not like he _enjoys_ constantly evading capture. It's more like he has some responsibility and ability, knowing some good Intel would make a huge difference.

Knowing he wasn't useless.

Rolf sighed to himself for the sixth time that day. Hearing the laughter and cordial banter between Boyd and Mist was unintentionally tiresome to the archer, as if the blistering Goddess-forsaken heat wasn't enough. It wasn't that he was annoyed by the two. That wasn't it in the slightest. The problem presented here was if anything the green-haired scout contributed meant a damn in the long run.

But this wasn't exactly the time to be pondering over such an insignificant issue. He had several things he - as did the rest of the Crimean Expedition Team - needed to accomplish. First off, how such an unrepeatable combination of Mist's Warp Stave and Boyd's Bolt Axe landed them a good thousand years into the future, and secondly, if there's actually a damn way to get back home.

Rolf sighed for the _seventh_ time that day. It was at that moment Madeline rushed up to the archer.

"Jeeze, _someone's_ huffing and puffing if I ever saw one." Madeline said, somewhat hypocritically as she breathed out some of her own air.

"It took you that long to notice, huh?" Rolf smiled wryly. The pupil had to admit, he really liked Madeline. In many ways, he is reminded of a 14-year old Mist, just as she was in the early stages of the Mad King's War. Everything was a dead ringer of her; her constant smile and the sparkly moist in her wide-eyes only contributed to that memory. Somehow, it made traversing through this hellish heat a little bit more bearable. The relief didn't last long, and then he was staring down at his feet with a frown.

Madeline had to to work up the courage to ask. "Rolf, you seem pretty depressed. Is there something wrong?"

Rolf shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong."

"_Of _course _somethings wrong, you moron." _Rolf wasn't mentally saying that to Madeline. Of course not. He was more or less chastising himself for such a response. If there's one thing Shinon taught him, is that the selfless and weak don't last long in war. He had to forsake any childish delusions with his tutelage and get a reality check. It was very rare that people made him emotionally fall apart, despite all that he's holding within.

"Rolf, I know there's something wrong." After some silence, Madeline shook her head, somewhat baffled at his reservation. She then decided a different approach; perhaps sharing war stories would make him feel better.

On second thought, maybe a hug will do.

"H-hey! What are you... y-you..." Rolf couldn't contain his blush as Madeline wrapped her arms around him. He felt his temperature rise, and almost stiffened. Damn it, why hug me here, in the middle of the humid spit-of-land?!

"Y'know," Madeline giggled, breaking the hug. "If there's anything you want to discuss, I'll be here for you, okay?"

Rolf immediately began to regret his reservation. Madeline cared for him, almost visibly, and he was trying to distance him from everyone else rather than rely on somebody. Despite his best attempt to say, "thank you," he couldn't help but turn red in the face and move his head away from visible sight.

"You... y-you didn't have to go _that_ far." Rolf shook his head. Madeline giggled.

"Need I repeat the promise I made?" This caused Rolf to smile, clearly relieved by her comfort.

"No. It's fine." Rolf nodded.

Before long, Rolf and Madeline were chatting up a storm. By some unfathomable miracle, it made the blasted heat slightly more bearable.

* * *

><p><em>Lake Aeres<em>

Eleanor silently stared through the window in her quaint little room for quite some time now.

3 hours? 4? It didn't exactly occur to the raven-haired knight that it's been around that timeframe, but she was so concerned for Madeline, it was hard to keep some damn composure. Of course, wandering off into the wilderness was a hobby of Madeline, and she trusted her enough to know where to go and where not to go. She knew the Gallian Shire was completely safe, but she nonetheless had an aching feeling that _something_ went wrong.

Was she worrying a bit too much? Maybe. But after failing to rescue her aunt and uncle, she didn't want to take any chances. In summary, Flynn and Madeline were the only ones left in her life, and if one got hurt or worse... she didn't know if she could take it.

Ellie sighed, rubbing her temple a little.

The sound of knocking quickly resonated from the two-story cabin.

"I'll get it!" Called a male - her brother Flynn, as a matter of fact. Eleanor made headway torwards the door, only to have Madeline - and dozens of strangers - accompanying her.

Flynn blinked. "What the - Madeline, did you get into trouble?!"

Madeline rubbed her head, almost sheepishly. "Er, about that brother, I-"

Oscar entered the household. "Your niece here told us that this was the place to go for questions. May we sit down?" He asked politely.

Eleanor was hugging Madeline, only for her to turn to the green knight. "Wait... what's going on?"

Boyd sighed, entering the house. "Well, it's a long story-"

"For the love of Ashunera, were _not_ taking this many visitors!" Flynn cried, before turning to Madeline. "Madeline, why would you bring-"

"There trapped here, that's why!" Madeline retorted. "These guys are from a millennia ago!"

It was too late for her to realize how stupid that sounded. Eleanor blinked, while Flynn fumed some more.

"Horsedroppings!" The red-clad sibling of Eleanor cried out. "We're fine with hosting guests, but we can't take a whole army! You'd have to be out of you mind to-"

Boyd got fed up. "I'm Boyd MacDougall, hero of the Mad King's War and Goddesses' War! For the love of Ashera, do you know who you're talking too?"

It was at that moment things fell silent. Flynn looked at Boyd closely, and saw some extremely close resemblances to what the history books describe him as: green hair, Urvan, red attire, and accompanied by a squinty-eyed Paladin named Oscar, his fiancé Mist...

No, this was a hoax. Was it?

Flynn couldn't doubt it. That was Urvan, the blessed axe used in the Goddess's Tower. There was no question about it.

Eleanor began to realize the similarities as well. "I... how... is that even possible...?"

Mist spoke up. "Boyd used a Bolt Axe on my Warp Stave, and we wound up this far into the future." Mist then turned to Flynn. "And _you_ were a former mage, right? You should know about how we ended up here more than anyone."

Eleanor shook her head. It was impossible. These four disappeared into the sea and were never heard from again. So how did then return, all in flesh and blood? But like she said, Flynn knew the answer. She turned to her brother.

Flynn stood silent.

"I'm going to regret this, but..." Flynn looked at Boyd in the eye, and nodded." I suppose we can give you an explanation. Better than flailing around mindlessly, anyway."

Boyd nodded. "If you can fill me in on everything that happened while we were gone, I'd appreciate it."

Flynn shook his head again. He was _really _going to regret this.

* * *

><p>The second floor of the cabin hosted a modest library, complete with bookshelves on the walls and a table stationed in the middle of the rectangular room. After guiding the unexpected guests to this archive, Flynn stopped in his tracks.<p>

"Have a seat everyone." Boyd, Mist and the others complied.

"Before I forget, thanks for telling your little battalion to wait outside. Our hamlet's large by normal standards, but it isn't large enough to host an entire expedition party." The red knight fell silent.

"And, uh... sorry for acting a bit harsh back there."

Boyd chuckled a bit. "It's fine Flynn. I can understand how much of a pain it is to host an army within a village."

Flynn smiled a little, before reverting to his serious frown. He then eyed at Mist. "Anyway, did you say that the reason _why_ you ended up here was due to a Bolt Axe coming into contact with a Warp Stave, right?"

The cleric - who was in deep thought during that moment - snapped back to reality to meet Flynn's serious brown eyes. "Uh, yes sir! We were in some sort of tempest when we came up with that idea. Really, it was better to take our chances than risk drowning."

"An understandable notion." Flynn nodded. His head turned to Eleanor, who was directly on his right. "Ellie, you have an explanation for this?"

Eleanor - as if in deep thought - began stroking her chin. A few minutes later, it came to her, though she looked rather surprised at something.

"Not to sound thoughtless or anything, but have you come up with something yet?" Rolf inquired.

"I actually have," Eleanor smiled a little. She was glad her training with thunder magic hasn't been forgotten just yet. "Boyd, there's two books behind you. One's labeled "A Verbose Summary of Tellian History, Vol. VII" and another's labeled "Mjolnir: A Basic Guide to Thunder Magic and its Principles." Can you get it?"

Boyd blinked. "Uh, what?"

The green knight sighed. "Get a really big maroon book with "VII" on it, and an average sized yellow and black book."

Boyd did just that. After some searching he plopped two books onto the table.

"_**Laguz Girls Have Fun: Seventh Unrated Edition"**_

"_**Wings of Ecstasy: A Compilation of Hawk-on-Raven stories."**_

Eleanor squeaked really loudly. "GIVE ME THAT!" She then yanked the books straight off of the table.

"What were those books? I didn't see the title." Boyd blinked, turning to Mist. "Did you?"

Mist was too flustered to even speak, being the only one aside from Eleanor to have a quick enough eye to read the title.

Eleanor began stuttering, currently as red as Flynn's armor. "Th-The _other _books that fit the description, dammit!"

"Uh... you mean these?" Boyd blinked a little as he put the actual books on the table.

Flynn smiled. "There it is! I was wondering where they were." Flynn turned to Eleanor, who was still beet red. "Uh, you going to be alright?"

The green-clad knight coughed a bit.

"So, uh..." Boyd shuffled a little. "While Eleanor is as embarrassed as a maniac, why don't _you_ read what we need to know."

"Aye." The red-clad knight opened the book.

_After the continent-shaking Goddess' War in 628 AF, and the resulting truce between the warring principalities, Tellius went to lick the wounds it has so grievously attained through six short months of swift yet brutal fighting. Shortly after all affairs were sorted, General Isaac Gawain of the Greil Mercenaries left in search of new lands and opportunities, with the ambitious Captain Boyd MacDougall and his fiancé Mist Gawain following in his wake two months later. Boyd and Mist would return very shortly after their departure, and information on what they had discovered was classified by the monarchy. Historians continue to debate if there was any land outside of Tellius, but a statement from Elincia answered "yes" to the growing concern of the blue-haired war hero._

"_I can verify to you... that Isaac Gawain... [does] live, as Boyd and Mist has encounter... [him] on his travels. I'm afraid that any sighting must remain confidential... [but] I hope you can understand. Either way, we celebrate Ike's venture into the unknown!"_

_Mist would die on February 7th, 678 after a harsh winter. Boyd would later die out of grief over his lover's death in September 2nd on the same year._

Boyd felt a slivering shudder go up and down his spine.

Seeing the date when you die is a omniscient and eldritch feeling, one that fills you with a sense of preparation for one's death, a sense of happiness that one gets to live a full life, and a feeling of dreadful anxiety over the inevitable. He knew Mist would feel the same too.

"**YES! IKE'S ALIVE! YAHOO!"**

On second thought, never mind.

Boyd felt breath push out of his lung as Mist hugged him with all her might. Oscar and Rolf - understandably - looked extremely happy as well.

"Oh, Boyd!" Mist chirped cheerily. "Ike DIDN'T die that day! I'm so happy!"

"Mist... you're... crushing... m-me..." Boyd squawked. How did a petite 17-year old Cleric possess such strength?!

The Cleric opened her eyes - which were squeezed shut as she clamped onto her fiancé - only to blink in surprise. "Oh, uh, sorry." Mist quickly let him go.

Oscar grinned widely. "That's excellent news! I'm just happy to hear Ike survived his journey."

Mist nodded. "Indeed! And we even make it back!" But her smile faltered slightly. "Still, it's kinda creepy to know when you will die..."

Eleanor - who recovered from her moment of embarrassment - smiled before speaking up. "I'd hate to break up a joyous moment, but you were wondering _why_ you ended up here, right?"

Boyd looked surprised for a second; his happiness made him forget for a second. "Uh, whoops. Yeah forgot about that," He turned to her. "Eleanor, take it from here."

"Right," Flynn nodded as he passed the other book to Eleanor. "You know more about this thunder magic mumbo-jumbo than me anyway."

Eleanor nodded. "Now let's see..." She began skimming through her pages, only to suddenly stop. "Ah, here!"

_Magic is a volatile, unpredictable matter. It only takes the slightest over usage of magic for catastrophic results. This is why Thunder magic must be held with extreme care with other types of enchantment. Such as staves._

_Arguably the most infamous example of this is the combination of Warp magic and Thunder magic. Warp magic's limitations are a necessity to prevent accidents in reality, as going beyond the standard limitations of the stave will result in increasingly unstable proportions. A Begnese scientist once found this out, as he decided to use a Thunder tome to ramp up the power of a Warp stave. The test subject disappeared completely, only to resurface 5 years later all the way in Daein._

_The incident - which was all over the news during 1017 AF - confirmed that amplifying the power of a Warp stave will not only travel to different distances, but it could warp through time and space._

_The most disturbing fact of this mishap would be the opening of a "cold spot." As listed from Chapter 3, a cold spot is where the fabric of time and space are loosely separated. If a strong enough magic current is cast to match the magic output of the amplified spell, it'll perform the exact same magical effect as used. The incident from 1017 AF's cold spot lasted 5 years, which led to the conclusion that the cold spot would last for as long as the magical effect lasts. Some might even last longer than expected, if the amplification is strong enough._

Boyd was speechless.

He's seen lots of inexplicable stuff in the two wars, but none of it even _compared_ to this. He didn't even know that magic was this powerful! However, he regained his composure, and turned to Eleanor.

"...Let's see if I got this right." Boyd stated matter-of-factly. "The incident on the CSS Greil caused a warp in time and space that landed me all the way out here?"

"Yeah, apparently." Eleanor nodded.

Boyd slumped back on his chair, before smiling. "Hey! Since history says we'll make it home, that must means we can still return back to our time!"

Mist, who has calmed herself at the same time Boyd did, smiled at her lover. "Yeah, that's gotta be it!"

Rolf shook his head. "Still, this makes my head hurt. If I understand this right, it's the amplification that landed us all the way here. I didn't even know such a thing was possible..."

Flynn chuckled, putting his hand on Rolf's back. "Don't worry friend, it confuses me just as much." Rolf smiled at this comforting.

Boyd smiled. "That clarifies quite a bit Eleanor. Thank you for telling us." Boyd looked at the window suddenly. "You know... we haven't eaten since this morning. Can you make us and our men something?"

Eleanor giggled. "Of course!" She fell silent, suddenly. "But, um... I don't think we'll be able to feed everyone."

Boyd smiled. "We'll share; after all, soldiers are tough. We can handle a little bit of hunger."

Flynn grinned. "Alright. I'll be preparing something for all of you! Let's go!"

Almost like that, the books were put back into the shelves, and everyone was on their way for a breath of fresh air. Boyd smiled slightly.

"Man, have I worked up an appetite." The Reaver chuckled. "Now, I wonder what they - "

"Er, Mister Boyd?"

Boyd turned around to see Madeline.

"Oh hey, Madeline." Boyd paused for a second. "Come to think of it, you were silent for the whole time we were talking. It isn't like you."

"No, it isn't." Madeline nodded. "I was... well, I was thinking."

Boyd frowned. "If there's anything you'd like to tell me, I'm all ears. That's what friends are for, anyway."

"I'm fine, Boyd. I just..." Madeline sighed. "I think a lot. Well, more or less I worry a lot. I, well - "

Boyd knelt down to the azure-haired preteen and smiled. "You don't have to worry all the time, y'know."

"Huh?"

"Of course you don't!" Boyd said, before pausing himself. "Uh, well what I mean is that we tend to fall into sullen moods sometime. Heck, even my fiancé Mist's no exception. You have any idea how much she cried when she was younger?"

"Uh, yes sir." Madeline nodded, with child-like attention on the Reaver.

"But yeah. What I mean is, you have to think on the brighter side of things. You shouldn't let negative emotions get the better of you, you know what I mean?"

Madeline fell silent.

"Well, let's get something to eat, okay? Maybe your hunger's making you all mopey." With that, Boyd began walking to the door.

"Uh, Mister Boyd?"

Boyd turned around, only to see Madeline smiling again.

"Thank you."

Boyd chuckled. "Whatever. Let's get you something, okay?"

"Yeah." Madeline nodded, all with the smile that makes her so lovable plastered across her face.

It's been a long time since she met someone as nice as Boyd, after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, my god... I can't believe I finished! It feels so good to do 3,358 words! XD<strong>

**Anyway, I hope this chapter explained quite a bit on why they ended up so far into the future. With that, I'll see you in the next chapter! Remember to review too!**

**Edit: Before I forget, I wish you to know one last thing: from now on, I'll edit the chapter as a response to every review I get!**

**McHearth: Thanks again for waiting so patiently, dude. And as for Eleanor having weird tastes... well... let's just say it'll be brought up in the Support Conversations in the future. ;)**

**BrowncoatJedi: Again, thank you for following me this far. If it weren't for you, this fanfic wouldn't be the same. As always, looking forward to the latest review from you.**

**~CR26**


	10. Chapter 9, Battle 1: Preludes of War

**After a month of doing nothing but wasting my life away with XCOM: Enemy Within, I'm finally back in the fray. And it's about time, too: this is where the first, ahem, "chapter" officially starts. So I'll just say that I have quite a few surprised planned... hehe.**

**That all said, have fun! **

**Disclaimer: Fire Emblem is trademarked by Intelligent Systems, and this work is not meant for self-profit of any kind.**

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><p><em>West of Lake Aeres <em>

He knew he couldn't look back.

He couldn't help it though, despite explicit orders from his family to get away. It was probably the gripping fear of being caught by those fiends, or it could be the fact that his friends and family's freedom rests on his shoulders. Whatever is the source of his paranoia didn't really matter; what _did _matter is that he had to run like hell.

Of course, the green-and-turquoise-clad brunette that we're talking about isn't out of the woods; his youthful irises darted left and right as he stopped for a breather, slumping on a lone tree amongst many. He wiped some sweat on his brow, knowing all too well that he couldn't stay for long. Already, he could hear the guttural voices of the bandits echoing through the equatorial landscape.

"_Where is that little runt?!"_

"_Moreg'll be pissed if he gets away!"_

"_Damnit, where are you?!"_

The brunette gasped for air, clearly exhausted from his mile-long sprint. He knew that he was the only one who could save his parents from servitude, yet he had no experience with combat whatsoever. Even if these weren't trained soldiers, he knew trying to best them alone was suicide. He needed to find someone, _anyone,_ who could save his parents.

"O-Okay, Kados," The young boy gasped, hyperventilating for air. "Y-Ya'll gotta move. If... if they..."

Suddenly, Kados began coughing up, all due to his complete lack of hydration. He collapses on his knees, with his kneecap digging a slight concave in the moist dirt. After a few five seconds, he regained control of his body.

A part of him wanted to punch a tree for collapsing like that. "_Damnit, why _now_?!" _Kados thought to himself. "_You're entire family is at risk here, and you think _this _is a good time to fall on your knees like a weakling?!_ "

But he had no time for self-pity; the gnarling voices of rugged barbarians chimed throughout the jungle, growing louder by the second; he knew he and his family were on borrowed time. He had to _move_.

And he did just that; after gathering what little strength he had, he bolted off, silently praying to Ashera that someone would find him amidst his plight.

* * *

><p><em>Lake Aeres<em>

For the first time, the Crimean Expedition Team finally had a chance to sit down and relax. The grassy delta stood proud as the foundation of the Dover household, yet little visitors came to visit. It couldn't have been more different today; tents and other wares littered the basin throughout, and if life hadn't reached this humble abode beforehand, it certainly has now.

The Dovers' pantry possessed enough fresh game to feed the small band; otherwise they would be too hungry to continue. The bread and pork that provided the group enough energy to continue spoiled, so a warming bowl of beef stew and mead proved to lighten the party's spirit a great deal. Just about everyone was happy that they had food, drink, and shelter all in spades.

Especially Boyd.

As the green-haired warrior walked along, he couldn't help but chuckle at the laughter and friendly fist-fights echoing through the air. Sure, the bravado from his men reached a level of toxicity that was too much even for him, but he was overjoyed to see his men in high spirits.

"Hoy, Commander!" Boyd turned around to see a young man - probably in his early twenties - approach the commander. His raven hair and amber eyes was something of a dead-ringer for Pelleas, but he knew that the resemblance was mere coincidence. Besides, while Pelleas gave a sense of solemnity to everyone near him, this young man's delightful grin made Boyd smile right back.

"Ah, hello there!" Boyd extended his hand, which the soldier firmly shook on. "Is there perhaps a reason you want me here... uh...?"

As soon as the handshake was finished, he performed a quick and solemn salute. "Corporal Janis, 7th Platoon of Crimean Militia, requested by her Majesty Elincia to accompany you, sir!"

Boyd blinked. "Uh... nice to meet you, Janis."

"Likewise, Commander." Janis nodded, placing his foot onto the ground. "And with all due respect, it is by proper military conduct to address a superior by their rank, sir!"

_Oh, great. Another Kieran. _Boyd thought to himself, quailing from the idea a tad bit. But nonetheless, he put aside the memories of a certain overly-dutiful red knight in an attempt to appear affable to Janis. After all, what kind of leader would he be if he avoided his own men?

"Uh, sorry for spacing out there, Janis." Boyd grinned, patting the Corporal on the back. "And just a quick tidbit of advice, call me by my name; titles make my skin crawl."

"Affirmative, Commander!" Janis performed another salute. Boyd felt an urge to face palm.

"You know what? Nevermind." Boyd sighed anxiously. "I presume you consulted me for a reason, Janis?"

"Yes, sir." Janis said, leading in to whisper in the green-haired Reaver's ear. Boyd inwardly knew that it must be a private matter if Janis has to whisper in from of a dozen or so people.

"You see," Janis continued. "Mist seems upset in some form or another. It would be much to her appreciation if you consoled her. I think it's a private matter she wishes to solely speak with you." With that confidential message relayed, Janis removed himself from Boyd's auricle.

Boyd frowned. _What would Mist be so depressed over that she seeks comfort from me? _Boyd thought to himself. _It's not like her; besides, she was bouncing around like a rubber ball after learning that Ike survived. What _could _be irritating her so much?_

But then he realized that he still had a conversation with him. After seeing a concerned glance on the man's face, Boyd chuckled softly, before patting Janis on the back.

"Uh, Commander?" Janis said while his eyes flickered, all to make sure of what Boyd is carrying out.

"Oh, nothing." Boyd smiled happily. "Just... thank you, Janis. Thank you for telling me this."

Janis honestly didn't know how to respond. For the six months he was in the Militia, he wasn't expecting such gratitude, especially from his Commander. It almost seemed alien to him. Yet at the exact same time, he felt a rise of happiness within him; there was something about being thanked that made Janis feel fuzzy inside.

Either way, Janis smiled sheepishly as Boyd pat him on his shoulder. "Your, um... welcome Commander."

Boyd nodded, before turning his attention to where Mist is. "Now if you excuse me, I need to see my fiancé. Again, thank you." Almost like that, he went off to find a certain brunette medic.

Janis looked on as Boyd began his search, and his smile went from ear-to-ear. And ever since, Boyd and Janis became friends.

* * *

><p>Mist simply sat at the edge of Lake Aeres, deep in thought.<p>

As if the humid nature of Gallia wasn't enough, she had to cope with the glaring sun on the afternoon horizon. Even with all these barricades impeding her thought, she still couldn't help but worry about Ike.

The brunette cleric sighed, adjusting the white scarf on her collar. It was all but fact that Ike was alive, but she still felt doubt churning in her stomach. It didn't help at all that Ike was the only family she had left; not that the Greil Mercenaries weren't her family, but the Hero of Blue Flames himself was the only blood-related member left in her family.

She couldn't help but reminisce on all the times he dodged death, at that. War takes more lives than it spares, and that was a fact she was forced to cope with as a medic. It frightens her to no end to think that Ike could die, more than any bandit or beast ever will.

She hated death. She hated feeling _useless_.

Mist began feeling tears in the corner of her eyes. She was always a crybaby; even Rolf grew out of it at some point in his life, but Mist was always a sensitive woman. While it has certainly gotten better over time, that didn't mean she wasn't prone to breaking down every now and then. She loathed this fact with a burning passion; all she ever wanted was to be strong. Be _someone _the Gawain bloodline would suggest.

"You gonna be alright, Mist?"

Mist turned around to see Boyd leaning up against a tree, arms crossed.

"Oh... hi, Boyd." Mist sighed, before perking up. "Wait, how long were you here?"

Boyd scratched the back of his head a little. "Um... a while?"

The petite cleric tried to glare at him, but she didn't have the willpower to do so. Instead, the waterworks building up in her eyes only got worse; she merely covered her face with both of her hands, and sat there crying.

The green-haired warrior instantly felt something in his stomach turn; he hated seeing people cry, especially if that said someone was Mist. Not only was it his biggest weakness, but his attempts to address the crying ends in failure more often than it doesn't. Nevertheless, he sat down next to Mist, all in a hope to comfort her.

"Hey, uh, listen," Boyd said, stuttering a little, "I know you're having problems; I understand this is about Ike, isn't it? Listen Mist, I know what it's like to be afraid of losing your family."

Mist continued sobbing. "You _don't_, Boyd."

"That's what _you_ think. Dealing with three brothers - one being _ten years old_ when he first picked up a bow - is terrifying. One of the last things I wish is for them is to die, yet war doesn't care if you're 10 or whatever." Boyd sighed. "But that's why I fight. I fight to protect my family, just as you do. Ike sure as Hell wouldn't want you to mope around like this living or dead. He wants you to continue fighting the good fight. That's what my real dad taught me, what Greil upheld, and what he passed down to you and Ike."

Mist blinked softly, her eyes still bloodshot-red from the crying. But deep down, she knew he was right. Ike would want Mist to keep fighting; that's what Gawain did, and what Ike's doing now. She simply gave a teary-eyed smile to her fiancé, and hugged him.

"Boyd, I..." Mist whispered. "Thank you. Promise me you'll never leave my side."

Boyd chuckled. "_That's_ a promise I intend to keep, Mist. Here and to the end of our days."

Boyd let go of the cleric, using his left hand to wipe a final tear from Mist's eye. Even though he knew _saying _it would probably earn him a kick to the shin, she was awfully cute when she cried like that. "Well, you going to be alright kiddo?"

"Don't call me kid," Mist huffed, lightly pushing the Reaver away. "But... yeah. I'll be okay now. Thank you Boyd."

The Mighty Soldier laughed a little to himself. "Good. I swear to the Goddess, the last thing I want to see is your crying. You should know how much I-"

"_Commander!"_

The two quickly strafed their heads to a Crimean soldier dressed in the standard-issue pearl-white armor. Upon closer inspection, it appears to be Janis.

"Commander, I..." He paused for breath before looking up. "Um, am I interrupting anything, sir?"

"Nothing of importance. Is there a problem, Janis?" Boyd frowned. He wasn't frowning due to Janis interrupting a tender moment - but considering how exasperated the purple-haired soldier looked, there had to be a problem. A _big _problem.

"Yes sir," Janis took one last inhale of oxygen before continuing. "Bandits have attacked a merchant convoy. Judging by what the son of the parents have to say, they're planning to sell them into slavery."

Mist's doe eyes instantly widened. "What?! _Bandits?! _Why would they attack all the way in Gallia?"

"That the survivor is uncertain of." Janis replied to Mist, before turning to Boyd. "I'd hate to strain the men in the middle of a respite, but we should intervene with your order, sir."

Boyd nodded. "I see. Lead me to the survivor, Janis."

"Sir!" Janis did a quick salute before rushing off. Boyd quickly followed him in his trail.

"Hey, wait just a..." Mist trailed off, before groaning aloud. "Oh Goddess, _why_ does Boyd have to run off like that...?"

Without saying another word, the Valkyrie quickly followed the steps of her fiancé.

* * *

><p>Boyd and Mist streamed past a large group of white-clad soldiers only to find Oscar and Rolf, in front of a brunette young boy; from an initial glance, he seemed to be the same age as Rolf. Not only that, Flynn and Eleanor stood next to the two brothers - this time, clad in red and green <em>armor <em>rather than clothes.

Flynn turned around and gasped. "Oh thank the Goddess, Boyd! You see, there..."

"I'm aware. I was informed of the situation by Janis." Boyd solemnly nodded, before looking around. "Say, where's Madeline?"

"Oh, her?" Eleanor spoke. "I told her to stay in her room until we get a handle on this situation. I don't want to cause her any stress, the poor girl..." The black-haired lady bit her lip.

"I see. Well, she needs rest anyway." Boyd paused, turning his head towards Oscar and the young boy. "Speaking of children..."

"And-and the bandits went off with my ma and pa, and-and then they... they-"

"Calm down Kados," Oscar softly spoke, trying to soothe the panicked boy; if there was one thing Oscar was good at, it was being with kids. "We'll help you find your ma and pa. But I need you to calm down a little bit, okay? We can't do anything if you don't keep a clear head. So I need you to be brave and tell me everything you saw, slowly."

Kados's rapid breath slowed down a little; it seemed that Oscar's pacifying worked out well. He then saw Boyd and Mist in front of him, with the sight of a hero's mere presence consoling the boy. Boyd knelt down to the child's height, and place his hand on his shoulder.

"You..." Kados whispered. "You promise you are good guys? You won't abandon me like the others, right?"

Boyd chuckled; kids can be so cute sometimes. Pushing aside that thought, he firmly yet softly gripped on his shoulder.

"Don't worry little buddy, I'm big and strong! We're all good guys here; I promise we'll help you out, and I never break my promises."

Kados felt any traces of fear disappear just like that. There was something about this man that inspired hope in the face of despair; just like a hero straight from the legends.

"Okay... we were makin' a shipment towards Nezebel, a Gallian border town for a local smith." The boy started.

_Nezebel, huh? _Boyd thought. _Last time I saw that place, it was just a little hamlet. It really grew that much? _Casting his thought aside, Boyd resumed the conversation. "Sorry about that. Continue."

"Well, we were goin' with ma and pa and a bunch of other merchants and mercenaries, when..." Kados paled slightly. "...when these big, ugly men assaulted the caravan. They killed the guards easily. I was screamed by my parent to run, so I did, an' last I looked... they were tyin' up mah family."

"I suggest we help them!" Flynn quickly added, slamming his fist into his palm. "It's been a while since I picked up the trade of a Knight, but I still have _some _experience under my boot!"

Eleanor nodded. "I agree with Flynn. We're woefully out-of-date with our horseback skills, but we'll prove to be of what little assistance we can."

Boyd turned to his small band of soldiers, main to Mist and his brothers. "So, any objections on helping these few?"

A cockney-accented soldier cackled. "What kick the arses of some bugger bandits? Yeah, we'll have a go at 'im!" His solo act of bravado quickly escalated into a hurrah from all the men and women of his small band.

Boyd smile went wider and wider as he saw spears and swords rose skyward. _This _is what it meant to be a commander. Fighting against a lethal enemy not with only the family bound in blood, but the family he forged on the battlefield. One of Greil's last virtues before his death was to fight for your family, even those not related in blood. And there was not a chance in Hell he was going to cause his family grief.

"That's what I like to hear." Boyd smiled, turning to Kados, Mist and the others, looking more than ready to jump in.

"Crimean Expedition Party... _let's save those civilians! MOVE OUT!"_

A small but triumphant roar rose from the small band of soldiers. This was going to be interesting, without a doubt.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Interlude<strong>

**A/N: Hey, sorry to cut in for a secco, but as this quote-on-quote "game" is supposed to be that in its core essence, I figured I should post the class info. Now things are getting started!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Name<span>: Boyd (The passionate yet kind-hearted leader of the Crimean Expedition Force. The main hero of the game. Was 16 in PoR, 19 in RD and is now 20. Was born on September 19th)**

**Level: 8**

**Class: Axeling (Tier 1. A heroic axe-fighter who possesses exceptional leadership skills. Can fight with an Axe and Crossbow. Only Boyd is this class.) Reaver (Tier 2. An extremely lethal warrior whose leadership skills only match his combat capabilities. Can fight with an Axe, Bow and Crossbow. Only Boyd is this class.)**

**Weapon(s): Urvan (The legendary battle-axe wielded by Gawain, only Boyd can use it. Its full potential is yet to be awakened. Has unlimited uses.) Hand Axe (A throwable axe of low power. Has 25 uses. Rank: E) Bowgun (An iron crossbow that packs a lot of punch, but doesn't factor Strength into attacks. Has 25 uses. No rank required for Crossbows.)**

**Item(s): Vulnerary (A magical tonic that heals for 10 HP.)**

**Rank(s): Axe: C**

**Skill(s): Unbreakable Will (Boyd's First Personal skill. When down to half HP, all units within a 3-square radius are given +15 to critical chance.) MacDougall Triangle Attack (Boyd's Second Personal skill. Can initiate a Triangle Attack with Oscar and Rolf, under the right conditions. Cannot be removed.) Nihil (Innate Axeling skill. Negates enemy skills.)**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Name<span>: Mist (Boyd's cheerful and eager-to-help fiancé. Is the little sister of the legendary hero Ike. Was 14 in PoR, 17 in RD and is now 18. Was born on April 5th.)**

**Level: 1**

**Class: Cleric (Tier 1. A holy maiden who uses swords and staves. Only Mist is this class.) Valkyrie (Tier 2. A horse-mounted warmaiden who boasts skill with Swords, Staves and Light Magic. Only Mist is this class.) **

**Weapon(s): Florete (A pink sword wielded exclusively by Mist. Uses the magic stat. Has 50 uses.) Heal (A basic magic stave that heals for 10 HP + the units base magic. Has 40 uses. Rank: E)**

**Item(s): Vulnerary (A magical tonic that heals for 10 HP.)**

**Rank(s): Sword: E, Stave: E**

**Skill(s): Family Ties (Mist's Personal skill. When near one of the original Greil Mercenaries, all units within a three-square radius around her are given 2 bonus damage to their attacks.) Miracle (Innate Cleric skill, protects character from fatal blow if Luck is high enough. (Lck = %))**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Name<span>: Oscar (The calm and collected older brother of Boyd. His experience from two wars make him the most experienced in the army. Was 24 in PoR, 27 in RD and is now 28. Was born on October 2nd.)**

**Level: 1**

**Class: Paladin (****Tier 2. A gallant knight whose movement and weapon mastery skills are second-to-none. Can use their starting weapon along with either Swords, Lances, Axes or Bows.)**

**Weapon(s): Silver Lance (An extremely sharp lance of high power. Has 25 uses. Rank: A), Steel Bow (A strong bow that may be difficult to use. Has 35 uses. Rank: D)**

**Item(s): Vulnerary (A magical tonic that heals for 10 HP.)**

**Rank(s): Lance: A, Bow: D**

**Skill(s): Cautious (Oscar's First Personal skill. Critical chance is reduced by -30 if on the defensive. MacDougall Triangle Attack (Oscar's First Personal skill. Can initiate a Triangle Attack with Boyd and Rolf, under the right conditions. Cannot be removed.) Defender (Innate Paladin skill. Gets a +1 to all stats except movement when Paired Up.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Name<span>: Rolf (The precocious little brother of Boyd. Was tutored in the way of the bow by Shinon. Was 10 in PoR, 13 in RD and is now 14. Was born on February 7th.)**

**Level: 1**

**Class: Archer (Tier 1. A marksman who specialized in accuracy with the bow. Can only use Bows, obviously.) Sniper (Tier 2. Master archers whose accuracy and quick-draw seem almost Goddess-given. Can use Bows.)**

**Weapon(s): Rolf's Bow (An easy-to-use, lightweight bow made by Rolf. Only Rolf can wield it. Has 50 uses. Has a bonus +10 Critical and +10 Hit.**

**Item(s): N/A**

**Rank(s): Bow: E**

**Skill(s): Keen Student (Rolf's First Personal skill. When Paired Up with another Bow user of a higher or equal level, is given +20 to Crit, Hit and Avoid.) MacDougall Triangle Attack (Rolf's Second Personal skill. Can initiate a Triangle Attack with Oscar and Boyd, under the right conditions. Cannot be removed.) Skillshot (Innate Archer skill. Can attack enemies one square adjacent to the unit, at a Hit penalty of -15.)**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Name<span>: Flynn (The hot-blooded and compassionate little brother of Eleanor, also a former mage. Known for possessing a strong sense of empathy. Is 17. Was born on June 22nd.)**

**Level: 2**

**Class: Sword Knight (A Cavalier with well-balanced stats around the board. This particular Cavalier wields swords.) Paladin (Tier 2. A gallant knight whose movement and weapon mastery skills are second-to-none. Can use their starting weapon along with either Swords, Lances, Axes or Bows.)**

**Weapon(s): Iron Sword (A basic sword of low power. Has 45 uses. Rank: E) Wind Edge (A magically-enchanted blade which requires no magical skill to use. Has 25 uses. Rank: D)**

**Item(s): N/A**

**Rank(s): Sword: D**

**Skill(s): Strong Empathy (Flynn's personal skill. When near a unit with half of their health or less, gets a +10 bonus to Hit, Avoid and Crit.) Sword Discipline (Innate Sword Knight skill. Weapon Rank for Swords is doubled.)**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Name<span>: Eleanor (The young and cool-headed older sister of Flynn. Has a strange fetish for Laguz. Is 18. Was born on December 4th.)**

**Level: 3**

**Class: Lance Knight (A Cavalier with well-balanced stats around the board. This particular Cavalier wields lances.) Paladin (****Tier 2. A gallant knight whose movement and weapon mastery skills are second-to-none. Can use their starting weapon along with either Swords, Lances, Axes or Bows.)**

**Weapon(s): Iron Lance (A basic lance of low power. Has 45 uses. Rank: E) Javelin (A throwing spear of low power. Has 25 uses. Rank: D)**

**Item(s): N/A**

**Rank(s): Lance: D**

**Skill(s): Laguz Fangirl (Eleanor's personal skill. When near a Laguz, is given a +2 bonus to all stats.) Lance Discipline (Innate Lance Knight skill. Weapon Rank for Lances is doubled.)**

**Alright, guess that covers it. Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Nezebel Road<em>

Despite a strong sense of wildlife preservation amongst the local Laguz, the need for trade and diplomacy simply meant that roads had to be cleared for the Beorc. Even in a time and age of prosperity, the attack of bandits and beasts were still commonplace in Tellius.

A gruff man with a large Steel Blade on his shoulder smirked as he saw everything go by the numbers; all the merchants and surviving caravan guards bound, and the prize was theirs' for the taking.

Of course, gold and wares weren't the only thing won here; this caravan had more than a few pretty girls ripe for sale on the black market, yet another persistent problem within Tellius. The bandit leader gave a cocky grin as he saw his men groping a young girl - no younger than fifteen at that.

Times like these made Moreg feel good to be a bandit.

His ruffled blonde hair and scarred, unsightly face struck horror into the merchants, and that's how it should be; fear is what controls all, what bends men to your rule. It's the only thing that mattered in this vile world, and the only thing that ever will. Nonetheless, he kept looking at the civilians, almost as helpless as sheep, with him as the shepherd. The feeling of control and domination filled him with a feeling that would disgust most men and women, but he loved it.

Yet it wasn't until he heard some panicked cries when his attention was well and truly caught.

"Mother, wh-what's happenin'?! I'm scared!"

"Darling, ya'll gonna be alright. Nothin' gonna to happen as long as Kados is searchin' for help, I promise!"

The bandit chief simply turned to the family, tied on a wagon which was conveniently on his left. Moreg simply leered, sending shivers up the family's spine.

"_Mother!_" The bound little girl squealed, burying her face into her mother's chest. The mere sight of him was enough to terrify Karol to no end.

"Oh, come on now, don't be afraid!" The scruff man laughed, pulling up a façade of friendliness. "Just because I killed your father doesn't make me a bad person, now does it?"

"You sick pig!" The mother spat while Karol cried into her chest. "He was tryin' to _protect_ us, and ya'll have the _gall _to-" She was cut short as a large steel claymore came near her throat, creating a yelp out of her throat.

"Unless you want me to kill you like I killed that sorry dastard, you _shut up and say NOTHING!_" His voice raised with that last word, triggering another cry from the mother. As soon as he finished his sentences, he raised his Steel Blade from the mother's throat, and laughed.

"What th' hell's so funny?" The mother growled, fear still present within her voice.

"Nothing, nothing." Moreg laughed, sheathing his broadsword in a large scabbard resting on his back. "Your kid's cute, though." As soon as he finished the sentence, he ripped Karol straight from her mother's hands.

"_Goddess no, not the girl!" _The mother screamed, with her daughter screaming even louder as she was separated from her mother.

"MOTHER! MO-" Immediately, she felt the large palm of Moreg cup across her mouth, with his other hand firmly pinning her to the wagon. She can do the only thing she could at this point: cry.

The foul Mercenary simply laughed. "Ssh ssh shh. Easy sweetums, I won't hurt you; you're too pretty to die just yet." He smiled as he saw tears run down her eyes. "You know, I know some nice men who'll take very good care of you, I promise. You'll enjoy-"

Suddenly, the sharp sound of guttural screams and shredded flesh resonated throughout the air.

"What the f-" Before he can finish his swear, a Barbarian approached him, clearly out of breath.

"Boss, ya gotta get out dere! Some green-haired arsehole is killing our men!"

Moreg blinked, his hand still on Karol's mouth. The fear was still very fresh in the little girl's eyes. "We're not done yet." He merely whispered, before letting go of her.

As soon as he freed her from her restraint, she simply began sobbing, a sound fading away as he rushed off to find who exactly this fool was.

* * *

><p><em>Nezebel Turnpike<em>

The scene on the turnpike was quite an event to behold; dozens of bloody, mauled bandits lay bleeding on the earthen floor, with dozens more trembling in fear at this mysterious green-haired warrior's display of berserk violence.

Many thoughts were going through these men. _Who _is _he?_ One would thing. _Where did he _come _from?_ Was yet another. The sheer, swift brutality of this warrior shouldn't even be possible with an axe so large, yet the improbability nonetheless frightened them, bringing even more questions into play and fewer answers.

_How was it possible for an axe-fighter to _move _that fast?_ Was arguably the most popular thought going through the brigands' minds.

Boyd simply smirked, with Mist, Oscar, Rolf, Flynn, Eleanor and all the other members of the Crimean Expedition Party behind him. A mere motion of his axe would unquestionably send fear through the bandits, and that fact alone gave the Mighty Soldier the satisfaction of putting these fiends in their place.

"I am Boyd of the Greil Mercenaries, the Mighty Soldier..." he went on, a determined look on his face. "...and the weapon in my hand is Urvan, the legendary axe wielded by Sir Gawain of the Four Riders. Its six feet long and three hundred pounds..." He grins and raises his battleaxe even higher.

"...and I can wield it with _one hand._ I suggest you all surrender and release your hostages, or this'll get painful."

The brigands looked on at the carnage, still awestruck at such skill. The scary thing was that he wasn't joking with his boasts; it took only thirty-eight seconds to down _twelve__ men_.

"I'll give ya _some_ credit grasshead; you really are beginnin' to impress me." A voice hollered in the distance. Boyd dropped his grin to see Moreg standing on a tipped-over wagon. His arms were crossed, all with an irritatingly smug smile plastered onto his face.

"Let go of the merchants, bandit!" Boyd hollered. "I kill twelve of your men without effort; what says I can't kill your entire band without me even trying?"

Mist nodded firmly, with Oscar and Rolf firmly gripping onto their weapons. "Yeah! Let go of them, you sicko!"

Moreg still had a smug smirk on his face; under normal circumstances, he would've considered retreating, especially in the advent of a superior warrior. But sometimes, a thousand blades can fell a dragon... _especially_ if those thousand blades were in the perfect position.

"Well I would darling," Moreg cackled, twirling his Steel Blade. "_But_ even so, I know something _you _don't."

"And that is...?" Boyd spoke, raising an eyebrow all the while. He answer back was a maniacal cackle from the bandit leader.

"We have you flanked."

Boyd quickly rotated his head, only to see a volley of arrows speeding towards him. Amidst screams from his fiancé to "watch out," he knew he was well and truly outsmarted.

_**CLINK!**_

The first thing he saw was a Knight clad in brown armor crash down to the ground, creating a large cloud of dust. In a moment's notice, he raised an equally-brown tower shield, blocking all the arrows in one swift motion.

The second thing he witnessed was an abnormally large Hawk ripping the archers from the jungle canopies, producing blood-curdling cries as they fall. Everything looked familiar... _too_ familiar. That's when it clicked, the second he saw the brown Knight's face.

"BROM?! _ULKI?!_"

* * *

><p><strong><span>Name<span>: Brom (The easy-going farmer who was good friends of Boyd. Was convinced by Queen Elincia to help Boyd in his expedition. Was 31 in PoR, 34 in RD, and is now 35. Was born on August 11th.) **

**Level: 5**

**Class: Knight (A towering armor-clad lance-fighter. Known for his immovable Defense. Can fight with Lances.) General (An unstoppable bastion of defense whose only downside is its low speed. All Knights aspire to become a General. Can use Lances and a choice between Swords or Axes.)**

**Weapon: Steel Lance (A strong lance that may be difficult to use. Has 35 uses. Rank: D)**

**Item(s): Vulnerary (A magical tonic that heals for 10 HP.)**

**Rank(s): Lance: D**

**Skill(s): Earthen Knowledge (Brom's personal skill. When on a Plains tile, is given a +1 bonus to all stats, and +15 to Hit and Avoid.) Defense +2 (Innate Knight skill. Gives a +2 bonus to Defense.)**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Name<span>: Ulki (A good friend of Boyd, and a loyal servant of King Tibarn of Phoenicis. Possesses exceptional hearing skills, making him the "ears" of Tibarn. Was 105 in PoR, 108 in RD, and is currently 109. Was born on January 2nd.)**

**Level: 4**

**Class: Hawk Laguz**

**Weapon(s): Talon (A Hawk Talon. Cannot equip any other weapons. Has infinite durability.)**

**Item(s): Laguz Stone (Completely fills transformation gauge upon usage. Has two uses.)**

**Rank(s): Strike: D**

**Skill(s): Vigilance (Ulki's Personal skill. Is given a +30 bonus to Avoid when defending.) Hawk's Conviction (Innate Hawk skill. When at half health, is given +15 Crit for the rest of the chapter, even when fully healed.)**

* * *

><p>"Brom?! What're <em>YOU<em> doing here?!" Boyd cried aloud. Out of all the things in the world, he was _not_ expecting Brom to show up, more or less in a full suit of armor.

"No time t' explain, Boyd!" Brom replied as he pointed his spear to his right. "We got company!"

As Boyd turned to his right, he was streams of bandits charge, creating a small sea of barbarians and brigands, all with the intent of avenging their former comrades. And Moreg was leading the charge.

"KILL THEM!" The evil Mercenary howled, jumping from the wagon and rushing into the fray.

Boyd grit his teeth. _This was gonna get ugly._ Boyd concluded. But deep down, he knew he could do this. He's achieved so much as a Greil Mercenary, so there was no way in hell he was going to falter here.

"Crimean Expedition Team..." Boyd began, looking to see all his comrades brace themselves. "...ADVANCE!"

His small force gave a triumphant cry, determined to fight to the next day. With little to be said, a small stream of white charged towards the bandit horde. There was no need for additional orders; the goal was to flank them and rout them. Everyone knew what they had to do, and most importantly, began doing those actions.

That was an unquestionable sign that the battle has begun.

Boyd then saw Mist, Brom and Rolf rush up to their Commander, all while Ulki flew down and reverted back to his original state. Amidst the clash of steel and swords, this reunion had little time to talk; they knew they had to get back into the fight, and fast.

"It's good to see you all, especially _you_ two! Now Ulki, where's Flynn, Eleanor and Oscar?" Boyd asked, with his voice almost completely drowned out amidst the roars of battle.

"They're flanking the enemy as we speak." Ulki yelled. "The infantry's holding the line, but we need orders from you commander."

Boyd paused for a moment, and then smirked. "Okay Mist, you go with a heal-and-run tactic; fix up the wounded, then rush to safety. Got that?"

"Yes Commander!" Mist affirmed, all with her unique girlish charmed. Without any other questions, she got to work.

"Brom, you lead the infantry and help them hold the line. Rolf, you ride on Ulki's back and fire arrows at the bandits. That'll help whittle them down."

"Right on it!" Rolf and Ulki said in unison. The Hawk Laguz soon transformed into his titular state, with the green-haired Archer hopping onto his back.

"And you going to be alright by yourself, Boyd?" Rolf hollered.

"Of course I will thanks! Boyd yelled back, watching Rolf and Ulki fly on. He then turned his attention to a certain bandit wielding an oversized claymore, cleaving all who dares stand in his way.

"Besides," Boyd smirked. "I have a score to settle."

* * *

><p>A young turquoise-haired girl silently ran through the jungle; she couldn't be too cautious, especially since she's directly disobeying her guardians' orders. Needless to say, the only one who would fit the descriptive is Madeline.<p>

The 14-year old girl silently stalked through the day-lit jungle, wary of being caught by both Boyd's forces or any others. She knew for a fact that bandits were an issue, which is due to her overhearing the conversation from Boyd and that mysterious child. That's perhaps why a glistening iron dagger was sheathed on her hip. There was no way she couldn't be too careful after all.

Madeline silently walked up to the end of the jungle, only to see a sight that was both breathtaking and bloody; a whole skirmish going under way.

Indeed, the plucky girl was overlooking the carnage behind the trees; the battle was unquestionably in Boyd's favor: the Mighty Soldier's army seems immortal in comparison to the Brigands; for every one that fell - if _any_ fell whatsoever - there seemed to be a dozen more bandits that fell in their wake.

"Wow, are they really doing all that?" Madeline said as she looked on.

Part of her wanted to be in the fray like that. The idea of being a heroine of war filled her with a sense of vindication that she doubt she'd obtain otherwise. It wasn't out of selfishness or anything; it was more or less due to her inspiration of heroes fighting for good and justice. Just like Rolf.

He was pretty cute, in all honestly.

Blushing as she put that thought aside, she continued to watch the carnage take place on the battlefield. This was certainly getting interesting, to say the least...

* * *

><p>"What is <em>wrong<em> with you boys?!" Moreg howled as he saw his men fall left and right. "Are you seriously losing to a bunch of bandits that you _outnumber three-to-one?!"_ Of course, as he stood right at the entrance of the Caravan raid, he had no intention of giving this position up. If he had to kill these dastards by himself, so be it.

"Moreg! This end _now_!"

The bandit saw Boyd approach him, with his great-axe Urvan in his hand. A fight was imminent, that's for certain.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Name<span>: Moreg (The sadistic and cruel leader of a gang of bandits. Attacked a Merchant Caravan on its way towards Nezebel. Kill this guy.)**

**Level: 10**

**Class: Mercenary (A veteran swordfighter who lacks nor excels in any area. Can only use Swords.)**

**Weapon: Steel Blade (A larger-than-usual claymore that hurts a lot, but may be difficult to use. Has 25 uses. Rank: C)**

**Item(s): N/A**

**Rank(s): Sword: C**

**Skill(s): N/A**

* * *

><p>"Well, well." Moreg smirked. "Looked what the Cat Laguz dragged in. Listen boy, I'm the superior fighter here. I suggest to go and walk away. <em>Now<em>." His voice turned into a guttural growl with that last word.

"Yeah, like I'd do that." Boyd rolled his eyes. "Listen, your outclassed and bested. I suggest you surrender while I'm merciful."

"No need for that." Moreg blustered. "Besides, I'll be killing you _where you STAND_!" Without the slightest measure of hesitation or mercy, his claymore swung at Boyd.

"_I'd like to see you try, you dastard!"_ Boyd shouted back as he deflected the blade's swipe with a swift motion of his axe. The force of the collision sent Moreg quailing back, clearly angry.

"Even if you kill me Boyd," The bandit leader spat, raising his blade at the Mighty Soldier. "I'll have my men hunt you down like a dog. You'll know _nothing_ of safety ever again!"

"Then why are you afraid?!" Boyd cried, swinging Urvan vertically. Moreg raised his blade to deflect the overhead swing.

The battle was over in an instant.

Blood and gore sprayed from the bandit chieftain, gurgling a final whimper as his mauled remains fell to the floor. The once mighty Moreg has fallen, with the sheer strength and blessed nature of Urvan cleaving his blade in two.

"Now if you excuse me," Boyd smirked, seeing the caravan. "I got some business to attend to."

* * *

><p>"<em>We drove them back! Hurrah!" <em>The triumphant howls from the legion of Crimean soldiers and mercenaries echoed throughout the air, almost with enough force to drive out the blistering afternoon heat.

"Oww..." Mist whimpered as - with the adrenaline wearing off - she felt cramps all over her body. But still, it was worth it. Thanks to her quick healing skills, it seems there was no casualties.

That alone made Mist felt _really _good.

It wasn't until she felt a tight embrace where she snapped out of her pause for thought, prompting her to look overhead to see a familiar green-haired warrior: Boyd.

"Nicely done, honey." Boyd whispered, his voice nonetheless clear despite the cheers from his band. He continued the affection by kissing Mist on the cheek; understandably, the Cleric turned red from the gesture.

"Heehee... thanks Boyd." Mist giggled, still glowing red. She then turned to see a dozen or so merchants wander onto the corpse-littered roads, overjoyed over their freedom... but it wasn't until he saw Kados rush up saying four words that it filled both her and Boyd with an irreplaceable sense of satisfaction.

"MA! KAROL! YOU'RE SAFE!" Kados cried, rushing up to her mother and sister. With all his might, he embraced his family.

Very quickly, the family of three embraced each other out of sheer joy. It wasn't until a good minute later when Kados looked up to his mother where he has another question on his mind.

"Ma... where's pa?" Kados whispered. This prompted a sigh from the mother.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Kados. He died protecting us." The mother whispered, clearly struggling to form the words.

Kados paused, lost in thought. But he wasn't sad. After all he's seen, he really can't be sad anymore. Instead, he was given a sense of somber pride that his father protected his family. He was a hero to emulate, for certain.

"I'm fine, ma. He protected ya'll and Karol, and that's what matters in th' end." Kados nodded.

"Oh, darlin'..." The mother hugged Kados and Karol yet again, firmly pulling them into her embrace. After some time, he looked up to Boyd and Mist, all who were smiling from the heartwarming moment.

"My names Kali. I... thank you." Kali began, breaking up the hug with her children. "Ya'll saved our lives back there. If it wasn't for ya'll, we'd all have died or... worse. But thank you. We owe you everything."

"There's no need to compensate ma'am." Boyd answered, still smiling. "I just kill for a job; your son is the real hero here." He then knelt down to Kados, currently perplexed by such a claim.

"Eh? Why me?" Kados asked, blinking a little.

"If you hadn't told me what was happening, I wouldn't been able to save you family Kados." Boyd smiled, roughing up his brown hair a little. "I just killed those bandits; _you're_ the real hero here, kiddo."

There was something about such praised that gave Kados a sense of inspiration; that he was a hero, that he helped his family and ultimately saved the day. He didn't let it get to his head naturally, but he still felt great about it. There wasn't any other feelings in the world like it.

"Sir... thank you. It's really an honor to-"

"_AAAUGH!_"

The group of five jumped as they saw Madeline tumble out of the woods, falling straight on her face. Groaning slightly, she got up, only to see the _very_ angry faces of Boyd and Mist on their faces.

"Um..." Madeline stuttered. "...hi?"

* * *

><p><strong>Oh my GOD. I didn't actually think that I'd be able to write THIS much, for god's sake! Well, whatever. I'm just happy to knock it out. I earned myself a good break after this.<strong>

**As usual, read, review, and correct my grammar! Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks again guys!**

**~Boyd the Mighty Soldier, out.**


	11. Chapter 10, Base 1: A Short Respite

**Well, it's about damn time!**

**After gaming my sorry butt off, I'm finally back in the fray! Yeah, it's been quite a while, I'm aware.**

**Anyway, I got some bad news and good news concerning the fic: the bad news is that the "minor" characters (aka, anyone who isn't Boyd, Mist, Oscar, Rolf and Madeline) won't be featured in the main story. So what's the good news?**

**The Support and Base Conversations are in this chapter!**

**Yes, that's right; we'll finally have a glimpse of all the possible Support Convos this "game" has to offer! Along with that, when this long, arduous journey reaches its conclusion, all the possible endings for the epilogue. Goddess almighty, we sure have our work cut out for us, eh? XD**

**But yeah. For those who are worried that characters like Flynn and Eleanor will appear less, don't panic; it's a promise on my end they'll have a chance in the spotlight. As a final note, if you want to see a particular support conversation between two characters of your choice, do ask so... but only if it's fitting.**

**With that said, enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Fire Emblem belongs to Intelligent Systems.**

* * *

><p><em>Tellius. The year is s 1648, an entire millennium after the Goddess's War and Ashera's Judgement. <em>

_The continent would enjoy a golden age of progress and prosperity, freed of the darkness of war that has plagued the land for so long. Though bandits and monsters still plagued the world, it was made a much better place thanks to the efforts of the Greil Mercenaries, whose exploits were immortalized by history._

_Yet even with this hard-fought status quo of peace, the winds of political change were nonetheless blowing. Crimea, Daein, Gallia, Goldoa and the Begnion Empire would still be present as nations, as they have been for over a millennium. However, new factions have staked their claim in the continent. What was once Begnese territory, the Serenes Forest is now occupied by the Avian Union, a political triumvirate consisting of Phoenicis, Kilvas and Serenes, each home to the Hawk, Raven and Heron Laguz._

_Another kingdom would also form within the Grann Desert: Iberia, the nation in the sands, was born from a small sanctuary for Branded. Over time, this settlement would grow into a mighty empire, boasting incredible diplomatic power and impressive militaristic might._

_Thanks to Ashera and Yune's reunion, the newborn goddess of balance - Ashunera - would guide both Beorc and Laguz alike into an era of harmony. Sadly, this would change completely when Boyd and Mist arrived into the future by pure accident._

_Though their intentions proved innocent, Boyd and the Crimean Expedition Team inadvertently started a series of events that would propel the continent into chaos: a fragment of the chaotic energies still dwelled within Lehran's Medallion, also known as the Fire Emblem. Even though the chaotic energies would have desisted a hundred years after Ashunera's birth, Boyd and Mist's untimely emergence into this new world would prove to be the very inclusion that would unravel Tellius by the seams..._

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter<span> 2: Order and Chaos**

_Nezebel Road_

"So, care to explain yourself for _why_ you followed us, Madeline?"

Boyd said this while he, Madeline and Mist sat by a fireplace. The others were conversing with the recently-rescued merchants, so this gave Boyd a moment to enjoy the gumbo Mist prepared. Aside from the sound of Mist sipping at the broth, there was barely any resonance from the three. It was partially out of exhaustion from the hard-fought battle against bandits and partially due to the awkward silence.

"Madeline," Boyd continued. "You were _explicitly told_ to wait at the house until we had this whole mess sorted out, so unless the house was set on fire, you have better have a good reason why you up and left." The Axeling paused and turned to Mist, nudging the Cleric's shoulder a little. "Right Mist?

Mist turned up, her mouth full with gumbo. "Whuh? Iudno, ith semslike-"

"Eeugh, forget it. Just... just keep eating." Boyd sighed, turning his attention back to Madeline.

Madeline stared down at the ground. "I'm sorry guys. I just... just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Boyd nodded. "I understand. Just remember that we're leaving you at home for a reason; it's safe there. I'm sure your cousins don't want you to be hurt, you get what I mean?"

Madeline nodded, smiling a little. "Thank you, Boyd. And to be honest? I _really_ wanted to see you guys kick butt. You're heroes, so part of me _had_ to see if the legends were true." The 14-year old giggled slightly, still giddy from the memories of the battle.

The green-haired warrior smiled, chuckling a little. "I guess the illustrations from the history books don't really live up to that one, eh?" Boyd smirked, thumping his chest a little.

"Heehee! Yup!" Madeline nodded, bouncing up and down a little.

Boyd smiled at the azure-haired girl's innocence. Madeline was amongst the most down-to-earth people the Reaver has ever met, and that says a lot. Besides, after meeting so many kind people within Ike's journeys, it's difficult to imagine finding more people like them. He's pretty happy to be wrong, in all sincerity.

Mist finished the last of her meal, and then looked at her fiancé. She couldn't help but giggle a little.

"What's so funny?" Boyd blinked.

"Oh, nothing." Mist smiled. "I just can't remember a time where you were so happy. I mean you always _were _optimistic Boyd, but this is the first time I've seen you like this in a while."

As soon as Mist finished her sentence, she gave a quick peck on Boyd's cheek. The green-haired warrior's eyes widened, blushing a little.

"It's really cute." Mist giggled again.

Boyd looked at Madeline for a moment, only for her to give a thumbs up. Turning back to her fiancé, he scooped his arms around her and brought her into his embrace.

"Yeah, well if _I'm_ cute, you're flat-out adorable." Boyd grinned a little. Mist laughed a little.

"Um, Boyd?"

The two lovers broke up to see Oscar and Rolf in front of them, accompanied by five white-clad Crimean soldiers.

Boyd smiled. He wished he had more time with Mist, but it was always good to have company. "Hey guys! What brings you here?"

Oscar cleared his throat. "We'd like to have a moment with you. Miss Kali wants to speak with you."

Boyd frowned. "What could it be? It's not like it's anything important."

"As a matter of fact..." Oscar trailed on, walking up to his younger brother and whispering in his ear. After a few seconds, Boyd's eyes widened.

"Woah, seriously?! That's great news!" Boyd jumped up a little. "Is magic in this time really _that_ developed?"

Mist looked up to her fiancé, slightly curious. "What do you mean, Boyd?"

Boyd looked down at his lover. After pausing for thought, he couldn't help but grin. Not only was this great news, but this could be crucial to finding their way home. Besides, how else would they be able to contact their time?

"Well? We're listening." Madeline spoke up. Boyd turned to the 14-year old, and smiled.

"Let's just say its something that needs to be seen to be believed."

* * *

><p><em>Castle Melior<em>

As Elincia stood on the balcony, the young girl couldn't help but smile. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky as far as she could see. What's more was how that gambit involving Brom and Ulki seriously paid off.

Elincia's forest green hair was levitated by the light gust; even if it was a perfect day out, that didn't mean it wasn't windy. Below her was the Noble Quarter of Melior; even all the way up here, the streets were buzzing with activity.

A great deal of change shook the foundations of Tellian life ever since the six-month Goddess's War. Though the conflict was brief (partially due to the entirety of Tellius being petrified when Ashera awoken), the destruction was catastrophic. Yet with the awakening of the Goddess of Balance Ashunera, recovery was all but guaranteed.

Even the most atheistic of Beorc and Laguz felt uncomfortable with this recent turn of events; Ashera nearly destroyed all of humanity, completely defying the description of a kind and loving Goddess. What's even more ironic is that the Dark God Yune, a figure that was despised for nearly bringing ruin to the world, actually ended up being the one who would save it, merging with Ashera to form the Goddess of Balance herself.

This struggle of acceptance was justified; it's terrifying to think that the Goddess you worship nearly annihilated all sentients on the planet. Thank Ashera - er, _Ashunera_ for Ike and Boyd; they were amongst the best Tellius has to offer and their contribution proved crucial to defeating the Goddess. If they weren't there during the raid on the Tower of Guidance... she shudders at the mere thought.

"_Uh, hello? Elincia? You hear me, right?"_

"Ah?!" Elincia squeaked loudly, taken aback from the voice. It only took some time to realize that voice was Boyd.

"B-Boyd?! Is that you?!" Elincia whispered in surprise careful not to say it aloud. After all, who would honestly want to look crazy in front of others?

"_I'm communicating with you telepathically. Just talk in your head and I'll be able to hear you. I'll explain everything."_

Elincia blinked stupidly for a moment, before grinning from ear-to-ear. This was the first report he's heard from the Mighty Soldier, so anyone would be overjoyed to know that he survived. After looking around for a second to make sure no one would interrupt with her, she proceeded to have her conversation with Boyd.

"_I-It's so good to see you again Boyd! Where are you?"_

"_Well, uh... we have quite a lot of things to explain, so listen up."_

Boyd would then explain everything; how they ended up a thousand years into the future, how they met Madeline, Flynn and Eleanor, and where they are now. After a nonetheless-concise ten minutes of explanation, Elincia couldn't help but gawk at everything - even if there wasn't really anything to physically gawk at.

"_I... my Goddess. Boyd, this is an incredible discovery! But, um..." _Elincia paused for a moment. "_How exactly can you communicate with us?"_

Boyd would scratch his head on his side. "_Well, I suppose that's the question, ain't it? You remember how herons and dragon Laguz had crystals that let them communicate with each other telepathically, right? Well in the future, they developed the same thing for _anyone _to use! Cool, huh? Now whenever I need soldiers, you can send them through the cold spot back at the shore. Sounds good enough to you?"_

"_Wait, how could you communicate from different time periods then? Wouldn't that be impossible?" _Elincia asked.

"_Oh, that. Because of the whole time-space effect the incident on the ship had, Eleanor assumes that the cold spot allows communication between the time periods. Kind of weird, I know, but what kind of magic _isn't _ethereal in some form or another?"_

"_Heehee. Very true." _Elincia giggled, before pausing for a moment. "_Oh, and Milord Boyd? I could send a fresh batch if you need it."_

Boyd grinned. "_That'd be great. We had a few casualties from our run in with bandits, so a fresh batch would be great."_

"_Excellent!"_ Elincia nodded. "_Either way, I need to contend to a diplomatic meeting with King Tibarn within the hour. I'll call you then, alright?"_

* * *

><p>Boyd - on his side of time - nodded in response to Elincia, even if she couldn't see it. Accompanying her was the Expedition Party and Kali, the latter standing right next to her two children, Kados and Karol. "<em>Alright, call me back when ready. I'll give a status report soon enough."<em> Suddenly, the crystal in Boyd's hand stopped glowing, as if it was powering down.

Mist was slightly flabbergasted by this. "Wait, so you... _spoke_ to Elincia? Like how the herons did it?"

"That is _awesome!"_ Madeline jumped around in excitement, almost as giddy as a schoolgirl. "Wh-What's the secret, huh?! Is it some sort of secret merchant trade?!"

"Calm down, darlin'." Kali laughed. "It's actually a recent development; we've had a bunch of fancy, pantsy scientists down from Begnion create this gem. Now you can contact anyone, anywhere!"

"I'll hand it to you Kali, that's awesome." Boyd suddenly paused. "Uh, how much gold will this cost me?"

Kali smirked. "Oh, just twenty-five thousand gold."

"WHAT?!"

"Nah, just kiddin'!" Kali bursted out laughing while her two children giggled in her arms. "Sorry, just a bunch'a country humor. You can keep it."

Mist smiled. "Really? You mean it?"

Kali grinned. "Of COURSE we mean it! If it weren't for ya'll divine intervention, we would'a been bandit food. We owe you our lives; seriously, if you need anything, we'd be happy to oblige."

Boyd chuckled in a good-hearted fashion. "Well, if there's one thing my team needs after a battle of _that_ caliber, then it would be a nice, warm meal. We ate already, but the troops haven't. I'd say they deserve some food, wouldn't you say Kali?"

Kados - the very child who helped rescue his family - chimed in. "Yeah, I think so too! They saved us ma, so it'd only be fair to repay th' debt."

Kali sighed while smiling. "Well, fair is fair, I guess. I'll inform the rest of the merchants of yer request and fill yer men up! Ya'll can count on us for that!"

Boyd smiled. "Excellent! You need a hand?"

Mist jumped in. "Count me in! I'm great at cooking!"

The five Beorc - including Kali's children - laughed as they walked down, chatting along the way. As Oscar saw them together, the squinty-eyed warrior couldn't help but smile seeing them at such ease; it's really all he could ask for, anyway.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Base<span> Conversation: Old Friends (***)**

**Boyd:** "Whew... alright, I think that takes care of the entire luggage. I swear to the Goddess, we really shouldn't have packed this much... well, then again we WERE expecting some foreign land or whatever. Bah! Look where THAT got us now!"

**?:** "Hey, need'a hand Boyd?"

**Boyd:** "Huh?"

_*Brom and Ulki transition onto the screen*_

**Ulki: **"That looks heavy... need a hand?"

**Brom:** "I'd be happy to help too! All that farming work really leaves a man stout and strong!"

**Boyd: **"Heh. Thanks guys, but I finished already. I appreciate the help though."

**Brom: **"Hmm, okay. Just remember if you need a hand, we're yer pals. We wouldn't be good companions if we didn't help, y'see?"

**Boyd:** "Tell me about it!"

_*Boyd frowns, becomes silent*_

**Ulki:** "Is something wrong? You're shifting a little."

**Boyd: **"I see you're perceptive as ever, Ulki. Guys, I uh... I wanted to thank you for coming along with us. Being alongside my friends really helps make the journey a lot less lonesome."

**Brom: **"Aww, you know we're here for you! Besides, we fought in two wars together! We're in this together, so don't feel alone."

**Boyd:** "...I won't. Thank you guys."

**Ulki:** "We're with you to the - oh, dear."

**Boyd:** "Huh? What is it, Ulki? Did I say something?"

**Ulki: **"No, but... um... apparently Mist tumbled down a cliff."

**Boyd**: "Oh, that's perfectly - wait, WHAT?!"

**Ulki:** "Um, she uh..."

**Boyd: **"Damn it Ulki, this is no time for blushing! What IS it?!"

**Ulki:** "...she slipped on a banana peel one of our soldiers tossed on the way side. Judging from the screams of pain, she broke both of her legs. Nothing a heal spell can't fix, though!"

**Boyd:** "..."

**Ulki:** "Uh, umm... yes. I... should probably go check on her."

_*Ulki leaves*_

**Boyd: **"W-Wait just a... oh come ON! Don't think you're going to help my fiancé without me! Hey! I-"

_*Brom stops in front of Boyd*_

**Brom:** "Boyd, wait!"

**Boyd:** "C'mon, MOVE! We can talk later! For the Goddess's sake Brom, gravity broke my girlfriend!"

**Brom:** "Just take this! It'll help you get to her faster!"

**Boyd: **"For the last time... wait. Is this a Speedwing?"

_*Boyd pauses*_

**Boyd:** "...thanks, Brom. I should get moving though!"

_*Boyd leaves*_

**Brom:** "Sigh... there he goes. I was planning to use that Speedwing to help me catch up to the faster guys. Ah, well. I just hope he uses it wisely!"

***Obtained Speedwing***

* * *

><p><strong><span>Base<span> Conversation: Siblings (*)**

**Flynn**: "Hmmm... where is he...?"

_*Eleanor walks in*_

**Eleanor:** "Something of the matter, brother?"

**Flynn:** "Oh, nothing. Thanks for your concern, sis. I was just looking for Boyd... sigh. Wherever he may be."

**Eleanor:** "Uhhh... why would you want to check on Boyd?"

**Flynn:** "Because... because I felt I was too harsh on him when we first met."

**Eleanor:** "Why? I'm sure he understands you're a sweetheart!"

**Flynn:** "It's not even that! It's just... it's just that I'm not too trustful of other people. You should know of all things what happened to Madeline's parents."

**Eleanor:** "Flynn..."

**Flynn:** "I just feel I should explain to him that I was harsh to him not because I'm a jerk. I should've been more trusting. If I knew those were brigands, maybe things would've went differently."

**Eleanor:** "Hmm. Well, how about I help you with explanation?"

**Flynn:** "Huh?"

**Eleanor:** "You're a good person Flynn. A great brother too, as I've known you since I was an infant! I'm sure Boyd would understand completely."

**Flynn: **"Sis... thank you."

**Eleanor:** "Anytime! Now, let's find Boyd. I'm sure he'd be happy to talk with you."

**Flynn:** "Yeah. Well, let's get going. We haven't got a moment to waste!"

* * *

><p><strong><span>Support<span> Conversations**

**Author's Note: Okay, this will require a little explanation of the game "mechanics."**

**Support Conversations have been an essential part of any Fire Emblem game. They give insight into the characters, and these conversations are the secret to how Fire Emblem as a whole maintains such a large yet lovable cast.**

**Now, there are some things that require clarification. First off, you can support with as many characters as you wish. The kicker comes with an A+ rank, which only one can be obtained per playthrough. Whether the two with an A+ support in question are lovers or best friends, they will get an ending together.**

**And finally, I will be listing all the conversations in one go; so if you think the conversations are too sudden, that's normal. Think of it as though they are acclimated throughout the game, not in one sitting. With that said and done, enjoy!**

**Here's what will appear in this chapter:**

**Boyd & Mist**

**Boyd & Oscar**

**Boyd & Rolf**

**Boyd & Brom**

**Boyd & Ulki**

**...and here's what will appear in the next chapter:**

**Flynn & Eleanor**

**Oscar & Flynn**

**Eleanor & Ulki**

**?(1) & Flynn**

**?(1) & Eleanor**

**Boyd & ?(2)**

**So yeah... lol. We've got our work cut out for us! Anyway, enjoy.**

**Support Conversations: Boyd & Mist, C-A+**

**C-Support**

* * *

><p><strong>Boyd: <strong>"Hyarrrrrrrrrgh! Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

_*Boyd pauses for breath*_

**Boyd:** "Whew... that's enough for one day. I've been swinging this axe since noon. Heh... I'm reminded of the times Titania chewed me out for not training. Darn, she'd be pretty proud to see me now!"

**?:** "Of COURSE she would, dummy!"

_*Mist transitions on scene, she hugs Boyd*_

**Boyd:** "Hey, honey! Oof! C'mon, get off... I'm soaked with sweat. I don't want drench you or anything."

**Mist:** "Aww Boyd, you know that I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty! Heck, we've served together in two wars. Being drench is sweat is nothing compared to... eeeugh... being drenched in blood. Ew."

**Boyd:** "Heh, you're cute when you're flustered like that, darling. Well, I should probably take a bite to eat. Man, I'm so hungry, I could eat a... huh?"

**Mist:** "Boyd? Is there something wrong?"

_*silence, Boyd's eyes suddenly widen*_

**Boyd:** "...MIST! GET DOWN! NOW!"

**Mist: **"Eek!"

_*an arrow strikes Boyd shoulder as he tackles Mist to the ground*_

**Boyd:** "Gah!"

**Mist:** "BOYD!"

**Boyd:** "D-Damn it! Come on, let's get out of here!"

_*scene transitions*_

**Boyd:** "Whew! That was a close one! Blasted brigand snuck up on me like that. What was his beef, huh?"

**Mist:** "B-Boyd... waaaaaaah..."

**Boyd:** "Huh?! Mist are you... crying. Oh."

_*Mist slaps Boyd*_

**Boyd: **"OW! Damn, what did I do?!"

**Mist:** "D-Don't EVER do that again! Goddess! I... I... WAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

**Boyd:** "Oof! C'mon! No crying! I... look, I'll have this looked at, okay? Just please, stop crying. You of all people should know I feel bad when that happens!"

**Mist:** "Awaaahh... sniff... sniff.. s-sorry Boyd. I just... I hate it when you're in danger like that."

**Boyd:** "Mist, I... I'm sorry. But that archer was using a Silver Bow. If he had hit you with that... I don't want to think about what could've happened. You know you're frail, right? I don't want you to be in danger, nor would Ike."

**Mist:** "Sniff... okay, Boyd. I-I'm sorry. Come on, let's get this wound healed, okay?"

**Boyd:** "Yeah. Thank you, Mist."

**B-Support**

**Boyd:** "Mist? Honey? Where are you?"

**Mist:** "Oh, I'm right here. Something wrong, Boyd?"

**Boyd:** "Yeah, uh... I wanted to check up on you, you know? You were bawling like a baby the other day after I got that wound. You gonna be alright? Need anything?"

**Mist:** "I'll be fine, Boyd. Thank you for your concern, though."

**Boyd:** "Heh. No problem. Besides, what kind of future husband would I be if I didn't stick up for my girlfriend?"

_*silence*_

**Mist:** "Um, Boyd... I... I wanted to apologize, myself."

**Boyd:** "Huh? How so?"

**Mist:** "I was acting selfish. I didn't want you to get hurt without being able to do anything about it. I forgot in that moment that you were protecting me."

**Boyd:** "Acting selfish? Come on! There's no need to depreciate yourself like that, and you know it!"

**Mist:** "...I guess so. I just... you know what happened. Greil was killed by Zelgius, and Ike nearly died. I felt so helpless... my worst fear is that something may happen to my family. To you. To Ike."

_*Mist closes her eyes*_

**Mist:** "I fight because I want to be the one to help you guys, not just let you protect ME... I took up healing not just because I had inherent magical abilities. I could've wanted to become a Swordmaster or something. But I chose healing because I wanted to protect you, Ike... everyone. I'm that afraid of losing you."

**Boyd:** "Mist..."

**Mist:** "So please, Boyd. Don't go charging off like that. It breaks my heart that I won't be able to save you in time. Please. For me."

**Boyd:** "I... alright Mist. I promise. From today onwards, I'll be with you."

**A-Support**

**Boyd:** "Hey Mist?"

**Mist:** "Oh, hiya Boyd! What brings you here?"

**Boyd:** "Same reason as the other day: I wanted to check up on you! You feeling better, kiddo?"

**Mist:** "Definitely. Ever since you've made that promise to me, I... I feel a lot more secure. Safe. I really appreciate it, Boyd."

**Boyd:** "Hey, that's why I'm her, love."

_*Boyd pauses, then chuckles*_

**Boyd:** "Heh... ahahaha!"

**Mist:** "Huh? W-What's so funny?"

**Boyd:** "Haha... whoooooo! Oh, nothing. I just find it pretty ironic that you say that. You feel more safe and secure when YOU put yourself into the line of fire, not me. It's almost poetic, for crying out loud!"

**Mist:** "Heh... heeheehee! Yeah, it IS pretty funny when you think about it!"

**Boyd:** "Don't worry, Mist. I promise that I'll be safe. I always knew you hated danger, but I never really considered that fighting to protect you would worry you so much! Okay, that may not be the right way to put it. I guess what I mean is..."

_*Mist kisses Boyd's cheek, Boyd blushes*_

**Boyd:** "...oh."

**Mist:** "C'mon! No need to provide exposition! You nailed it on the hat on your first try!"

**Boyd:** "Heh. Yeah, guess I did."

**Mist:** "Boyd... thanks. I really appreciate it all. The battles are getting tougher, and you know that more than anyone. Heck, you're in charge of this motley army! So please... be safe. For me."

**Boyd:** "...it's a promise. One I intend to keep to the end of my days."

**Mist:** "Woohoo! Thank you so much, Boyd!"

_*Mist pounces on Boyd*_

**Boyd:** "Oof! Haha! I'll be damned if I didn't see you this happy!"

**Mist: **"Heehee! Well, of COURSE! I seriously cannot WAIT for our marriage!"

**A+-Support**

**Boyd:** "Oh, there you are. I was wondering where you were, Mist."

**Mist:** "Yeah. Good to see you too."

_*silence*_

**Mist:** "...Boyd. I seriously want to thank you for the other day. I can't remember the last time I was so happy!"

**Boyd:** "Heh. Good to hear. Your happiness is all I could ever ask for, kid. But, um... I have a question."

**Mist:** "Huh? What's wrong?"

_*Boyd blushes*_

**Boyd:** "How about we be engaged no longer, Mist?"

_*Mist blushes*_

**Mist:** "H-Huh? What do you mean? And... Oh, my Goddess! Is that the ring you gave me?!"

**Boyd:** "Yeah, the one we're saving for our wedding day. There's a church nearby. I wanted to have our wedding now."

**Mist: **"WHAT?! Seriously?! Why the heck would you want to do something like that?! I-I mean... I... ohhhh, I don't think my heart can take all of this at once..."

**Boyd:** "I made a promise that we'd be together to the end, didn't I? I'm not going to sugarcoat it: the battles are getting even more dangerous. There... there may be a chance we may not make it out alive."

**Mist:** "..."

**Boyd:** "...that's why I want to marry you now. Every day with you is an adventure, Mist. And it's an adventure I want to spend the rest of my life with, whether I die in battle or naturally."

**Mist:** "B-Boyd..."

**Boyd:** "Huh? Wait, did I say something?"

**Mist:** "Hic... sniff... Boyd, I... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!"

**Boyd**: "Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

**Mist: **"Awaaaaaaaaaaaaaah... sniff... oh, Boyd... you don't even KNOW how much this means to me!"

**Boyd:** "So... yes? You mean it?"

**Mist: **"Yes! YES! Oh, Goddess, yes! I'd love to, Boyd!"

**Boyd:** "You mean it? Really?! YAHOO!"

**Mist:** "Oh, Goddess! I feel like I could explode with happiness right now!"

_*Mist pounces Boyd*_

**Boyd:** "Oof! Not AGAIN! Hey! Stop hugging me! You KNOW you're stronger than you look, right?! Ack!"

**Mist:** "Oh, uh... sorry. Heh."

**Boyd:** "Urk... nah, I'm fine."

_*Boyd smiles genuinely after a short silence*_

**Boyd:** "Mist... thank you. Know that even in our darkest moments, I'll be there for you. That's a promise I damn well intend to keep."

**Mist:** "And that's a promise I intend to keep on MY end, too! Thank you SO much, Boyd!"

**Boyd and Mist are now Spouses.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Support<span> Conversations: Boyd & Oscar, C-A**

**C-Support**

**Boyd:** "I presume our little "provision issue" was addressed, bro?"

**Oscar:** "Yeah, it was."

_*Oscar sighs*_

**Oscar:** "Goddess Almighty, I really need to have a word with the Stable Master. If he wasn't so keen with feeding our famished horses "filet mignon," maybe we wouldn't have been so short of provisions. Thankfully there was a market in a village nearby."

**Boyd:** "...that's an awfully specific piece of exposition. Anyway, is there anything else you want to report?"

_*Oscar smiles*_

**Oscar:** "Nope, that's it. That being said, there are actually some artists whom you saved since the merchant raid. Apparently he's making inspirational posters for the men."

**Boyd:** "Heh, that's pretty cool. So? What did the artist come up with?"

**Oscar:** "..."

_*Boyd sweats a little*_

**Boyd:** "...that is NOT a good silence."

**Oscar:** "Well, provided I wasn't hallucinating, I saw you with balance scales in one hand and a torch in the other... with you naked sans a leaf on your privates. It reads in bold letter "GIVE HOPE TO THOSE WHO HAVE NONE! GIVE ALL FOR THE CRIMEAN EXPEDITION ARMY!"

**Boyd:** "...wh... what...?"

**Oscar:** "Well, he seems to be spreading the posters around town. Maybe we should - oof!"

_*Boyd grips Oscar by the neck*_

**Boyd: **"WHERE IS THAT SON OF A WYVERN?!"

**Oscar:** "H-He's by the mess hall, commander... oof! Y-You're strong as ever, Boyd..."

_*Boyd releases Oscar*_

**Boyd:** "C-Crap! I gotta tear down those posters before anyone sees them!"

_*Boyd exits, Oscar sighs*_

**Oscar:** "I... I should've brought that up. Well, I suppose I should help him. Heh, it'd be a bonding experience with him! HEY, BOYD! WAIT UP!"

**B-Support**

**Boyd:** "..."

**Oscar:** "So, um... sorry about not putting your dignity as priority number one."

**Boyd:** "My dignity? Haha... no, my dignity has been TORN TO BLOODY SHREDS THANKS TO THAT ARTIST!"

**Oscar:** "H-Hey, at least everyone got a good laugh from it. I think Mist was laughing so hard she was crying... Eeugh. There was some snot coming from her nose at that."

**Boyd:** "You are NOT helping, Oscar."

**Oscar:** "...um. Oh. Sorry, heh."

_*silence*_

**Boyd:** "I... sigh. Listen Oscar... for one, sorry if I sounded harsh there. You're my brother, so I should be treating you with respect. Secondly, I... I wanted to thank you for helping me back there. I know the whole poster fiasco will be insignificant in hindsight, especially with all these battles. But, well... you get what I mean. I prefer people to remember me as someone who tried his best to help people, not necessarily for some nude posters."

_*more silence, Oscar chuckles before hugging his little brother*_

**Boyd:** "Heh... how long has it been since we hugged like that?"

**Oscar:** "Far too long. Remember that you'll always be my little brother, and I'm extremely proud of how far you came from this point."

_*Oscar let go of Boyd to pat him on the back, Boyd smiles*_

**Boyd:** "Thanks, bro. That means a lot hearing that from you."

**Oscar:** "Anytime. And when the history books record your legacy, I'll be the first to toast to your success!"

**A-Support**

**Boyd:** "Oh, hey bro!"

**Oscar:** "Hello, Boyd. Is there anything new on your end?"

**Boyd:** "Eh, nothing much. I finally found the artist and gave him a piece of my mind, so that's good."

**Oscar:** "Ahaha, that's great to - wait. You didn't hurt him, right?"

**Boyd:** "Pfft, of course not! He was a civilian, so I just told him to not draw that sort of poster again. Goddess almighty, if someone has the gall to do that crap again, mark my words..."

**Oscar:** "Well, that's one problem taken care of, anyhow! Glad to hear it's been resolved for you."

_*silence*_

**Oscar:** "Boyd. I'm so proud of how much you've grown over the years."

**Boyd:** "Huh? What do you mean?"

**Oscar:** "Heh... well no offense, but you were very hot-blooded and brash when you were younger. As you grew up though, you evolved into who you are now; a kind, selfless hero who helps people without a second thought. Father would be so proud of how far you came, Goddess bless his soul."

**Boyd:** "Oscar..."

**Oscar:** "Remember that you aren't just my brother. You're our commander. EVERYONE looks to you for support and inspiration, so you'd best remember that. We're all counting on you, Boyd."

**Boyd:** "Brother... thanks. I'll do my best. For you, Mist... everyone. That's a promise I damn well intend to keep!"

**Oscar:** "Hah! That's the Boyd I know and love!"

* * *

><p><strong><span>Support<span> Conversations: Boyd & Rolf, C-A**

**C-Support**

**Rolf:** "Ready... aim..."

**Boyd:** "You seem busy, peewee! Practicing with your bow, huh?"

**Rolf:** "Oh, c'mon! Don't call me that, meathead! I'm every little bit as competent as the rest of you guys, so you got some nerve labeling me as such!"

**Boyd:** "Haha! Relax, I'm only teasing. Come on, you've been practicing archery for the entire day. Maybe you should take a break?"

**Rolf:** "I'm not a kid Boyd, and you know that. My childhood ended when I took my first life."

**Boyd:** "That isn't the point! You shouldn't push yourself too hard, you know? Trust me, when I was younger, I constantly sought after improvement. Okay yeah, I was quite lazy most of the time, but what I'm coming from is that whenever I had someone to spar with, I always sought to become better than them. But to be honest Rolf? You shouldn't push yourself too hard. I've made a similar mistake, and payed the price for it."

**Rolf:** "I said I'll be fine, dang it! No need to baby me!"

**Boyd:** "Sigh... suit yourself. Just come to me whenever you need some respite, alright?

_*Boyd leaves*_

**Rolf:** "Goddess, he's got nerve. All I'm doing is trying to improve my archery skills! Why does he have to worry about every single little thing I do?! Hmph!"

**B-Support**

**Rolf:** "Owww... my hands hurt... dang it Rolf, you got to continue! You can't stop because of some stupid-"

_*Boyd transitions onto the scene*_

**Boyd:** "Because of what, exactly?"

**Rolf:** "Argh, you?! Come on! I said I'll be fine!"

**Boyd:** "Rolf. Be honest, how long have you been practicing archery like this?

**Rolf:** "Sigh... I lost count. I dunno, maybe six hours a day?"

**Boyd:** "What the - for the love of the Goddess, Rolf! Give me your hands, I want to check on them."

**Rolf:** "I SAID I'll be fine! I - YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOWCH! H-Hey! Don't touch that! It hurts!"

**Boyd:** "Rolf, are you stupid?! You got blisters and cuts EVERYWHERE! Goddess, you're even bleeding! Come on, we'll take you to Mist. This needs examination."

_*Rolf slaps Boyd's hand*_

**Boyd:** "Ouch! What the hell was THAT for?!"

**Rolf:** "Stop treating me like a KID! I'm not a kid anymore, you shouldn't even-"

**Boyd:** "By Ashunera, that is ENOUGH Rolf!"

**Rolf:** "What the-?!"

**Boyd:** "Seriously, how idiotic are you?! You can't just keep going with your archery in THIS condition! You need to be examined ASAP. I don't care if you're a soldier of our army, a soldier should NEVER push himself this far."

**Rolf:** "..."

**Boyd:** "Come on, kiddo. We'll get this hand-"

**Rolf:** "You... you don't know a single Goddess-damn THING, Boyd!"

**Boyd:** "What the...?! Of COURSE I know! You shouldn't even be-"

**Rolf:** "Every day, Boyd. Every day I had to sit on the bench and watch you guys go out... I... I felt useless. That's why I took up archery. Thanks to Shinon, I've actually had a calling in life... but it goes beyond self-esteem. It's seeing you guys risk your life to protect people like me. I'm sick of you forcing me to sit back because I'm a kid! I train even at the risk of injury because if I let any one of you die because my skills weren't good enough... I have no one to blame but myself. And I won't let it happen to my family. Not Oscar, not Mist... not you."

**Boyd: **"I... Rolf, I..."

**Rolf:** "...you're right, though. I should get these hands examined. Thanks for your concern, brother."

_*Boyd transitions from screen*_

**Boyd:** "Goddess... Rolf, I had no idea."

**A-Support**

**Boyd:** "Rolf! RROOOOOOOOOOOOLF!" Goddess, where is that kid...?"

**Rolf:** "Oh, hi brother."

**Boyd:** "Hey, kiddo. Are your hands better now that you've checked up on them?"

**Rolf:** "Heh, yeah. Mist's really a great healer, that's without question. She's seriously improved over the years, I'll tell you that much."

**Boyd:** "Ahaha, I can imagine!"

_*silence*_

**Boyd:** "Rolf, I... I'm sorry for not understanding how you felt. I still think you should slow yourself down, but-"

**Rolf:** "No, you're right Boyd. I'm the one who should apologize."

**Boyd:** "Huh?"

_*Rolf smiles*_

**Rolf:** "You were right. I was pushing myself too far. I wanted to refine my skills to the maximum whenever I've gotten the chance. At the same time, though... I forgot that I should take care of myself every now and then. I don't want to worry my only family, especially Mist."

**Boyd:** "Rolf... thanks. That's great to hear."

_*silence, Boyd suddenly smiles*_

**Boyd:** "Especially Mist, by the way...?"

_*Rolf blushes*_

**Rolf:** "Well, she's a dear friend and a very great companion. I guess I mean that-"

**Boyd:** "...you had a crush on her, didn't you?"

**Rolf:** "...! Ahh!"

**Boyd:** "Ahaha, don't worry, I get it completely. You didn't want to intervene because we we're getting along together, right? But that doesn't means you still didn't have feelings for her."

**Rolf:** "H-How did you...?"

**Boyd:** "Nah, don't worry. I'll keep it a secret. Just promise me something Rolf. Don't push yourself too hard. You have family for a reason, buddy. We won't leave you behind."

**Rolf:** "Brother, I... I will! Thank you so much!"

_*Rolf hugs Boyd*_

**Boyd:** "Oof! Ahaha! Jeez, enough with the hugging, kiddo!"

**Rolf**: "R-Right, sorry."

_*Rolf let go of Boyd*_

**Rolf:** "Boyd... thank you. I'll be damned if I lost such a wonderful brother."

**Boyd:** "Touché, peewee! Hahaha!"

**Rolf:** "Argh! Come on, don't call me that! Way to ruin the moment, chowderbrain!"

* * *

><p><strong><span>Support<span> Conversations: Boyd & Brom, C-A+**

**C-Support**

**Brom:** "Golly, I'm wonderin' how the family is doin'. Seemed like forever since Miss Elincia sent me for this special assignment... well, it hasn't been TOO long but Golly, do I wonder if they're alright..."

**Boyd:** "Something wrong, Brom?"

**Brom:** "Oh! Heya, Boyd! What brings yer fine self over here?"

**Boyd:** "Ahaha, nothing much! I was busy discussing business with Oscar. (I swear, that's the last time I'm ever going to invest into Brave/Killer weapon hybrids...)

**Brom:** "Eh? Speak up!"

**Boyd:** "D-Did I say that aloud? Uh, whoops! Heh heh. Sorry, classified info! Um..."

**Brom:** "..."

_*silence*_

**Boyd:** "Hey... why the long face, friend? You seem a little bummed out."

**Brom:** "Huh? Aww, nothin'! Thanks for yer concern Boyd, I was just... well, I was wonderin' if mah family was doin' alright. Meg included... gosh, she must be worried sick about me..."

**Boyd:** "Meg? You mean that pink-haired knight who fought with us?"

**Brom:** "Yeah. I was worryin' about her, as she's probably worryin' about ME..."

**Boyd:** "Hmm... hey, that gives me an idea!"

**Brom:** "Huh?"

**Boyd:** "We could use the cold spot to send letters to your family! We'll have Ulki make short trips between Crimea and here. Hawk Laguz can travel fast, y'know."

**Brom:** "That's a great idea! But, um... is it possible? I read from that fancy shmancy book of magic that the cold spot disappears after the intended effect goes kaput."

**Boyd:** "Yeah, I was worrying about the same thing myself. The good news is that, as it turns out, Flynn predicted that the magic current will dissipate after, say... six to seven months. So if we finish business quickly enough, we could write those letters AND get back home!"

**Brom:** "That's great! Aw, thanks Boyd! Well, I better get writin'! Don't want to keep mah family waitin'!"

**B-Support**

**Boyd:** "Oh, hey Brom! How did the letter go?"

**Brom:** "Howdy, Boyd. I finished writin' it, all in all. Now's a matter of giving Ulki the letter and havin' him send it. Thanks so much for helpin' me revise it!"

**Boyd:** "Heh. Least I could do for a dear friend."

_*silence*_

**Brom:** "Hey, uh... Boyd. I wanted to thank you for accompanyin' me through this journey. It seriously means a whole, heckova' lot to have you be mah moral compass, y'know?"

**Boyd:** "Anytime, friend. Heh... ahaha!"

**Brom:** "Huh? What's so funny?"

**Boyd:** "Oh, nothing pops. I just remembered back in the Mad King's War, I helped you get into shape. You remember that, right? Heck, you even helped me with more personal issues like what it means to be a merc!"

**Brom:** "Haha. Yep, those were the times, alright. Man, to think SOMETHING good came out of that war."

**Boyd:** "Indeed. Without it, I wouldn't have met my buddy. Here's to our friendship!"

**Brom:** "Amen! Ahaha!"

**A-Support**

**Brom:** "Boyd? Where are y'all?!"

**Boyd:** "Right here, Brom. You seem a little more antsy than usual. What's up?"

**Brom:** "I got Meg's letter Boyd! I oughta open it up! Oh golly, I'm so excited!"

**Boyd:** "Hah! Hopefully all that revision will pay off, eh?"

**Brom:** "Indeed. Now, let's read it..."

_*Brom tears open envelope*_

"_Dear Pa, _

_I'm so happy to see you unharmed! Not a day goes by that I think of y'all without smilin' from ear-to-ear. Don't worry; yer special assignment's safe with me._

_Anyway, life at the farm's fine. I just met some handsome man named Palladus! Gosh, he's so cute and nice! I think I actually have a sorta crush on him... heehee!_

_Well, either way, everything's fine at the farm. Ma and my siblings have been taking care of the crops while yall're away. I just hope you come home safely. Not a day goes by that I pray to Ashunera for yer safe return._

_Love ya! XOXO_

_~Meg, your daughter_

**Brom:** "..."

**Boyd:** "Brom... is there something wrong?"

**Brom:** "Heh... ahaha... wahahaha!"

**Boyd:** "Huh?!"

**Brom:** "Ahaha... whooooo! Oh, I'm just so happy everythin' in the farm's alright! Seein' mah daughter as perky as ever fills me with a strength to move on. I feel like I can do anything."

**Boyd:** "Heh. That's great to hear, buddy."

**Brom:** "Mark mah words Boyd, I'm not gonna die in this war. I have so much to live for, so much to _fight_ for... that's why I'm a militiaman. Mark my words, I'll fight to the end for mah family."

**Boyd:** "Brom... that's great to hear! That's the friend I love!"

**Brom:** "Ahaha, yer too kind, Boyd. Alright, no holdin' the other's back now! I have a cause, and I'll follow it through!"

**Boyd:** "Alright! I expect only the best from you, pops!"

**A+-Support**

**Boyd:** "Pops."

**Brom:** "Oh, howdy Boyd! What brings you up this early?"

**Boyd:** "I wanted to check on you. How're you doing, buddy?"

**Brom:** "I'm feelin' great! Even since I got that letter, I've felt like I could push mountains!"

**Boyd:** "Ahaha! Great to hear!"

_*silence*_

**Boyd:** "Hey, Brom. I have a question about me and Mist's upcoming wedding... well, presuming we'll survive this war anyway."

**Brom:** "Hmm? What's up, friend?"

**Boyd:** "I want you to be my best man during me and Mist's wedding. You're my best friend Brom, and I seek to celebrate that friendship by giving you the honors."

**Brom:** "Boyd... you... you really mean it?"

**Boyd:** "Of course; I said you're my best friend, didn't I pops?"

**Brom:** "Boyd... thank you! Oh Ashunera, this is great!"

_*Brom hugs Boyd. Both guys pat each other on the back while laughing*_

**Boyd:** "Ahaha! No problem, pops!"

_*silence*_

**Boyd: **"I'll be blunt. The battles are getting more and more intense. Honestly, there's the possibility that we may die. But that's why I want you to fight at your fullest, Brom. Don't hold back for anyone, ya got that?"

**Brom:** "It's a promise! Boyd, thanks so much! You're a darn good friend!"

**Boyd:** "And YOU'RE a damn good friend yourself, pops! Ahaha!"

**Boyd and Brom are now Buddies.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Support<span> Conversations: Boyd & Ulki, C-A+**

**C-Support**

**Boyd:** "GraaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

_*Boyd and Ulki are sparring, Ulki is in hawk form*_

**Ulki:** "Kreeeeee! (Oof! That was a close one... better watch my blind side next time...)"

**Boyd:** "Hiyah! THIS ENDS NOW!"

**Ulki:** "Kreeeeeeeahh!"

_*Ulki flies backward and reverts to his human form.*_

**Boyd:** "Whew... I think I won that time. You gonna be alright, buddy?"

**Ulki:** "As fine as ever, friend. An excellent bout of strength as usual!"

**Boyd:** "Heh. Well you've sharpened your skills yourself. Goddess, that hearing of yours really helps you in evasion, you know that?"

**Ulki:** "Indeed. Once again, you bested me with the strength befitting of a true warrior. I won't lie, the Knights of Phoenicis need someone of your skill!"

_*awkward silence*_

**Boyd:** "You know Ulki... I never really got to ask what your origin is, you know? I mean you ARE Tibarn's ears and I know that, but I never really got to ask how you rose to that position. Care to inform me?"

**Ulki:** "Hmm... well, it's complicated. I was born into a rather poor family. We didn't have much in the ways of luxury or comfort, but I was happy. As the eldest child in the family, I did whatever I could to support my family."

**Boyd:** "Wait... please remind me, you're five years younger than Janaff, right? During the Mad King's War, he was 110, and that makes you now..."

**Ulki:** "109, yes. I was born on January 2nd, 539. When I was 26, a war broke out between Phoenicis and Kilvas. The two latest kings in the family tree at the time... weren't well liked. They frequently engaged in war over each other, and it wasn't until the Serenes Massacre when they finally agreed on something. People died. Lives were ruined."

**Boyd:** "..."

**Ulki:** "That all changed when an abnormally powerful Hawk named Tibarn challenged the current king for his dominion over the throne. He was defeated, and Tibarn led the hawks to the defeat of Kilvas. Six months later, the Prince of Kilvas - Naesala - became king."

**Boyd: **"But wait, how were you found by Tibarn?"

**Ulki:** "Well, while Tibarn was popular, some people had loyalties to the old king. One day, a top-class assassin was hired by the nobles to murder Tibarn. Someone similar to Volke, you can say. He didn't notice, and would've had his throat slit... until I cried out and he stopped him. As you know, I have phenomenal hearing, and thanks to my reflexes he survived. When the mess was sorted out, he gave me an opportunity - to become the ears of Phoenicis. As it turns out, that assassin was so stealthy that all the hawks in the area didn't catch him... but I did. Well, you know the story from there."

**Boyd:** "I see."

**Ulki:** "Well, that's the story. And Boyd? Thank you for bringing me along for your journey. I'm honored."

**Boyd:** "Heh. Least I could do, old chum."

**B-Support**

**Boyd:** "Hmm..."

**Ulki:** "Boyd? Is something of the matter?"

**Boyd:** "Huh? Ah, nothing. I was just thinking about what you said the other day. About where you came from, you know?"

**Ulki:** "What about it? ...sorry, that sounded too blunt. Um, how do I put this, uh...?"

**Boyd:** "Hehe... nah, its fine. No need to worry about it so much. I like it when you're blunt with me, Ulki. It really gives way to plenty of perspectives, you know?"

**Ulki:** "Mmm... yes."

_*silence*_

**Boyd:** "Say, I've noticed... you seem a lot more gloomy than usual. Is something wrong?"

**Ulki:** "..."

**Boyd:** "Uh, buddy? You'll be alright, right? Need a snack or something?"

**Ulki:** "...ister."

**Boyd:** "Huh?"

**Ulki:** "Nothing. Sorry if I'm bothering you. Excuse me."

_*Ulki leaves*_

**Boyd:** "Hey, wait just a - get back here! Don't go off like that! Jeez, what's gotten into him...?"

**A-Support**

**Boyd:** "There you are!"

**Ulki:** "Huh? Oh, hi Boyd. What's wrong?"

**Boyd:** "Ulki, what's wrong? You can't just waltz out of a conversation like that! You've had me worried sick there, man."

**Ulki:** "..."

**Boyd:** "Ulki. Tell me what's wrong. This is so out of character for you; you're never this out of it, and for someone who's the ears of Tibarn, a lack of focus is a clear sign that something's wrong."

**Boyd:** "Boyd, I... sigh. My sister, Boyd. It's my sister."

**Ulki:** "Huh?"

**Ulki:** "I... admitted one detail. My little sister, Harpi. She... she was drafted via lottery. The king of Phoenicis at the time was not above using lottery drafts to recruit his men. I was lucky. She wasn't. The last I've seen of her was her terrified face. The last I've heard of her was "I don't want to go..." She died at 29 - she died a 16-year old in Beorc years.

**Boyd:** "...oh my Goddess. Ulki I... I'm sorry."

**Ulki:** "It isn't your fault. The memory just... it just came back after I've told you the story. I'm sorry for hiding it from you, it's just... I didn't want to burden the army with my personal demons. I never wanted to. Boyd, I'm... I'm sorry for not telling you. I'm the wor-"

**Boyd:** "Don't even THINK about saying you're the worst, damnit!"

**Ulki:** "Huh?!"

**Boyd:** "Ulki, your sister would be so proud of how far you've came... she died young, and that's a tragedy. But if there's an afterlife, I'm sure she doesn't want you to be moping around like this. Hell, you've done so much for the army! For us!"

**Ulki:** "Boyd..."

**Boyd:** "Listen Ulki, I know life... well, life can be a pain in the arse. That's the truth of it. But she doesn't want you to mourn her death forever. She wants you to fight the good fight, and you're sure as hell doing just that! So please, Ulki... I don't want you to be sad. I want you to be happy, okay buddy?"

**Ulki:** "Boyd, I... you're right. Thank you so much, Boyd. You... you really are a dear friend."

**Boyd:** "Anytime, partner. We're in this together, I'll tell you that much!"

**A+-Support**

**Boyd:** "Hmm... where is he?"

**Ulki:** "Oh, there you are, Boyd! I was looking for you."

**Boyd:** "Oh, hello buddy. Feeling better?"

**Ulki:** "Yeah. What you said... well, it filled the hole in my heart, that's for certain. Thank you, Boyd. You've seriously brought peace of mind to me."

**Boyd:** "I said it once, and I'll say it again: anytime. Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't help my companions?"

**Ulki:** "Ahaha, indeed."

_*silence*_

**Boyd:** "Hey, Ulki. You know how me and Mist will get hitched once this war's over? Well, presuming we survive anyway."

**Ulki:** "Hm? What about it?"

**Boyd:** "Well... can you be the best man?"

**Ulki:** "Huh?"

**Boyd:** "Ah, sorry. I kinda forgot Laguz weddings are different. Haha! Well, a best man's the companion of the groom during a wedding; he's the groom's best friend and the first one to congratulate him at the reception. Ulki... I'd be honored for you to be that groomsman."

**Ulki:** "Boyd, I... of course! I'd be honored, Boyd!"

**Boyd:** "You mean it? Haha, awesome! Thanks, man!"

_*Boyd hugs Ulki, both are laughing*_

**Ulki:** "You're welcome. Boyd, I... thank you for being there for me. You truly are a dear friend. I... I really appreciate it."

**Boyd:** "Haha! Anytime, man! Hopefully we'll be alive to try out formal attire once this war ends."

**Ulki:** "Ahaha, inde - wait, I have to wear an attire? Is THAT what a "best man" does...?"

**Boyd and Ulki are now Buddies.**

* * *

><p><strong>Ho-lee HELL, this was a long chapter. Totally worth it, especially with all the content I've got down.<strong>

**Anyway, sorry for the delay. Life's been a major jerk, so I hope I didn't keep you guys waiting this long! Read and review as always, and be sure to correct any grammatical mistakes. Cheers!**

**And finally, the next chapter will be the next in-game Chapter: Chapter 2. See you then.**

**~Boyd the Reaver**


End file.
